Soaita, A. M. (2024) The “River of Life”: researching migration trajectories through elicitation based on participants’ drawings. In: Sage Research Methods: Doing Research Online. SAGE Publications Ltd, pp. 1-25. ISBN 9781529681604 (doi: 10.4135/9781529681604)
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Abstract
Funding pressures mean that researchers can rarely experiment with new methods, particularly less conventional ones such as elicitation based on participant drawings. As a student, one can certainly be bold, and hence I wish to inspire you with my experience. The research discussed in this case study was conducted in 2022 and explored the migration trajectories and housing experiences of Romanian migrants in the United Kingdom. International migration is a complex life experience that shifts one’s relationship within labor markets, families, communities, housing arrangements, cultural and institutional landscapes, and the very constitution of self. In order to capture these complexities, I had the privilege of freely exploring the potential of the “river of life” metaphor as a graphical representation of migration trajectories. I heard about this method being used as a warming-up technique in focus groups, but I thought that the practice was rather thin. I wanted to give participants time to truly reflect on their journeys. Hence I asked them to draw, prior to the interview, their migrant life as if it were a river, with bends and boulders, smooth and rough passages, while marking down the persons and events that have influenced its course and how they felt along the way. I hoped that drawing their lives on paper would stir reflection, thereby supporting a more in-depth discussion during the interview. But their drawings made me “see” that which I could not have grasped from words alone: repetitive motifs, shorter or longer timelines of representation, faster or slower rhythms of change, and socially isolated or fully embedded lives. I observed how this variation allied with structural determinants (e.g., economic status, migration regime, and gender). In order for you to adapt this visual method for your own purpose, I will describe the instructions given to participants, encourage you to prompt during elicitation (including through silence), and signpost four key directions for data interpretation. During my discussion, I also highlight some methodological challenges. My final word: if it fits your particular topic, take a leap of faith and apply this method—you have nothing to lose and much to gain.
| Item Type: | Book Sections |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Soaita, Dr Adriana Mihaela |
| Authors: | Soaita, A. M. |
| College/School: | College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies |
| Publisher: | SAGE Publications Ltd |
| ISBN: | 9781529681604 |
| Published Online: | 20 January 2024 |
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