Understanding the ‘bigger picture’: Lessons learned from participatory visual arts-based research with individuals seeking asylum in the United Kingdom | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 10, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2040-4344
  • E-ISSN: 2040-4352

Abstract

This article presents reflections from a participatory visual arts-based research study with individuals seeking asylum in the north-east of England. This study invited participants to represent their lived experiences through biographical and visual methods. In doing so, they engaged in a process of ethno-mimesis, accomplished through the production of images that function as sites for meaning making, self-representation and social critique. This article demonstrates how an arts-based approach can stimulate change and transformation in individuals’ lives by supporting meaningful participation in the knowledge production process and providing a safe space where participants are empowered by sharing stories that challenge, subvert and reimagine what it feels like to be an asylum seeker. Furthermore it suggests that in contrast to interview settings, through the process of ethno-mimesis participants were offered the time and space to consciously engage with their experiences and invest in their creativity and storytelling capacities in order to render their worldviews visible. Although the findings from this study reinforce an existing rich body of ethnographic work on lived experiences of asylum seekers, this study recognizes that the identified themes highlight the enduring impact of immigration policies on individuals asylum-seeking trajectories and focuses instead on how such experiences are creatively negotiated by participants.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/cjmc.10.1.95_1
2019-04-01
2024-04-26
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Anderson, J.,, Hollaus, J.,, Lindsay, A., and Williamson, C.. ( 2014;), ‘ The culture of disbelief: An ethnographic approach to understanding an under-theorised concept in the UK asylum system. ’, working paper, Refugee Studies Centre, no. 102 , Oxford:: Refugee Studies Centre;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Austin, D., and Forinash, M.. ( 2005;), ‘ Arts-based Inquiry. ’, in B. Wheeler. (ed.), Music Therapy Research, , 2nd ed.., Barcelona:: Gilsum;, pp. 45871.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Bagnoli, A.. ( 2009;), ‘ Beyond the standard interview: The use of graphic elicitation and arts-based methods. ’, Qualitative Research, 9:5, pp. 54770.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Barnard, M.. ( 2001), Approaches to Understanding Visual Culture, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Berry, M.,, Garcia-Blanco, I., and Moore, K.. ( 2015), Press Coverage of the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in the EU: A Content Analysis of Five European Countries, Report for the UNHCR , http://www.unhcr.org/protection/operations/56bb369c9/press-coverage-refugee-migrant-crisis-eu-content-analysis-five-european.html. Accessed 16 May 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Bolton, A.,, Pole, C., and Mizen, P.. ( 2001;), ‘ Picture this: Researching child workers. ’, Sociology, 35:2, pp. 50118.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Capous Desyllas, M.. ( 2014;), ‘ Using photovoice with sex workers: The power of art, agency and resistance. ’, Qualitative Social Work, 13:4, pp. 466501.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Chase, E.. ( 2010;), ‘ Agency and silence: Young people seeking asylum alone in the UK. ’, British Journal of Social Work, 40:7, pp. 205068.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Chouliaraki, L., and Stolic, T.. ( 2017;), ‘ Rethinking media responsibility in the refugee “crisis”: A visual typology of European news. ’, Media, Culture & Society, 39:8, pp. 116277.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Connelly, M., and Clandinin, J.. ( 1990;), ‘ Stories of experience and narrative inquiry. ’, Educational Researcher, 19:5, pp. 214.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Connelly, M., and Clandinin, J.. ( 1995;), ‘ Relatos de Experiencia e Investigación Narrative. ’, in J. Larrosa,, R. Arnaus,, V. Ferrer,, N. Pérez de Lara,, F. Michael Connelly,, D. Jean Clandinin, and M. Greene. (eds), Déjame que te Cuente – Ensayos sobre Narrativas y Educación, Barcelona:: Ed. Laertes;, pp. 1160.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Estrella, K., and Forinash, M.. ( 2007;), ‘ Narrative inquiry and arts-based inquiry: Multinarrative perspectives. ’, Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 47:3, pp. 37683.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Finley, S.. ( 2008;), ‘ Arts based research. ’, in J. G. Knowles, and A. L. Cole. (eds), Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issues, London:: Sage;, pp. 7181.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Fitzgibbon, W., and Stengel, C. M.. ( 2017;), ‘ Women’s voices made visible: Photovoice in visual criminology. ’, Punishment & Society, 0:0, pp. 121.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Foucault M.. ( 1977), Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, London:: Allen Lane;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Geller, P.. ( 2004), Northern Exposures: Photographing and Filming the Canadian North, 1920-45, Vancouver:: The University of British Columbia Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Griffiths, M.. ( 2014;), ‘ Out of time: The temporal uncertainties of refused asylum seekers and immigration detainees. ’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 40:12, pp. 19912009.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Haaken, J., and O’Neill, M.. ( 2014;), ‘ Moving images: Psychoanalytically-informed visual methods in documenting the lives of women migrants and asylum-seekers. ’, Journal of Health Psychology, 19:1, pp. 7989.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Hage, G.. ( 2009;), ‘ Introduction. ’, in G. Hage. (ed.) Waiting, Carlton:: Melbourne University Publishing;, pp. 112.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Hainmueller, J.,, Hangartner, D., and Lawrence, D.. ( 2016;), ‘ When lives are put on hold: Lengthy asylum processes decrease employment among refugees. ’, Science Advances, 2:8, pp. 17.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Hammond, J.. ( 2004;), ‘ Photography and ambivalence. ’, Visual Studies, 19:2, pp. 13544.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Harper, D.. ( 2002;), ‘ Talking about pictures: A case for photo elicitation. ’, Visual Studies, 17:1, pp. 1326.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Hasselberg, I.. ( 2014;), ‘ Coerced to leave: Punishment and the surveillance of foreign-national offenders in the UK. ’, Surveillance and Society, 12:4, pp. 47184.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Huss, E.. ( 2013), What We See and What We Say, New York:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Knowles, J. G., and Cole, A. L.. ( 2008), Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issue, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Kostakopoulou, D.. ( 2010;), ‘ Matters of control: Integration tests, naturalisation reform and probationary citizenship in the United Kingdom. ’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 36:5, pp. 82946.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Leavy, P.. ( 2015), Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice, , 2nd ed.., London:: The Guilford Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Lenette, C., and Boddy, J.. ( 2013;), ‘ Visual ethnography and refugee women: Nuanced understandings of lived experiences. ’, Qualitative Research Journal, 13:1, pp. 7289.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Mayblin, L., and James, P.. ( 2017;), ‘ Asylum and refugee support: Civil society filling the gaps?. ’, ASYLUM.WELFARE.WORK, working paper, Coventry:: University of Warwick;, https://naccom.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/civil-society-filling-the-gaps-october-2017.pdf. Accessed 15 September 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. McIntyre, A.. ( 2008), Participatory Action Research, London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. McKay, S., and Bradley J.. ( 2016;), ‘ How does art practice engage with narratives of migration from refugees? Lessons from “utopia”. ’, Journal of Arts & Communities, 8:1, pp. 3146.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Miller, K.. ( 2015;), ‘ Dear critics: Addressing concerns and justifying the benefits of photography as a research method. ’, Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung (Forum: Qualitative Social Research), 16:3, n.pag, Article 27 , http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/2434. Accessed 16 February 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Mitchell, C.. ( 2011), Doing Visual Research, Los Angeles, CA:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. O’Neill, M.. (ed.) ( 1999), Adorno, Culture and Feminism, London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. O’Neill, M.. ( 2004;), ‘ Global refugees: Forced migration, diaspora and belonging. ’, in D. Robinson,, C. Horrocks,, N. Kelly, and B. Roberts. (eds), Narrative, Memory & Identity: Theoretical and Methodological Issues, Huddersfield:: University of Huddersfield Press;, pp. 121.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. O’Neill, M.. ( 2008;), ‘ Transnational refugees: The transformative role of art?. ’, Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung (Forum: Qualitative Social Research), 9:2, http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/fqs-9.2.403. Accessed 23 June 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. O’Neill, M.. ( 2010), Asylum, Migration and Community, Bristol:: Policy Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. O’Neill, M.. ( 2018;), ‘ Walking, well-being and community: Racialized mothers building cultural citizenship using participatory arts and participatory action research. ’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 41:1, pp. 7397.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. O’Neill, M.,, Giddens, S.,, Breatnach, P.,, Bagley, C.,, Bourne, D., and Judge, T.. ( 2002;), ‘ Renewed methodologies for social research: Ethno-mimesis as performative praxis. ’, The Sociological Review, 50:1, pp. 6988.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. O’Neill, M., and Harindranath, R.. ( 2006;), ‘ Theorising narratives of exile and belonging: The importance of biography and ethno-mimesis in “understanding” asylum. ’, Qualitative Sociology Review, 2:1, pp. 3953.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Piacentini, T.. ( 2008;), ‘ Contesting identities in exile: An exploration of collective self-understanding and solidarity in refugee community organisations in Glasgow. ’, eSharp, 11, https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_81282_en.pdf. Accessed 18 June 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Piacentini, T.. ( 2012;), ‘ Moving beyond “refugeeness”: Problematising the “refugee community organisation”. ’, working paper, Birmingham:: University of Birmingham;, https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/generic/tsrc/documents/tsrc/working-papers/working-paper-85.pdf. Accessed 15 May 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Pink, S.. ( 2001), Doing Visual Ethnography: Images, Media and Representations in Research, London:: Sage Publications;.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Quinn, N.. ( 2014;), ‘ Participatory action research with asylum seekers and refugees experiencing stigma and discrimination: The experience from Scotland. ’, Disability & Society, 29:1, pp. 5870.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Refugee Action ( 2016), Let Refugees Learn: Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Language Provision to Refugees in England, London:, https://www.refugee-action.org.uk/resource/report-let-refugees-learn/. Accessed 3 September 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Richards, N., and Rotter, R.. ( 2013;), ‘ Desperately seeking certainty? The case of asylum applicants and people planning an assisted suicide at dignitas. ’, Sociological Research Online, 18:4, n.pag.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Riessman, C. K.. ( 2005;), ‘ Narrative analysis. ’, in N. Kelly,, C. Horrocks,, K. Milnes,, B. Roberts, and D. Robinson. (eds), Narrative, Memory & Everyday Life, Huddersfield:: University of Huddersfield;, pp. 17.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Robertson, Z.,, Gifford, S.,, McMichael, C., and Correa-Velez, I.. ( 2016;), ‘ Through their eyes: Seeing experiences of settlement in photographs taken by refugee background youth in Melbourne, Australia. ’, Visual Studies, 31:1, pp. 3449.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Rodriguez-Jimenez, A., and Gifford, S. M.. ( 2010;), ‘ “Finding voice”: Learnings and insights from a participatory media project with recently arrived Afghan young men from refugee backgrounds. ’, Youth Australia Studies, 29:2, pp. 3341.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Rose, G.. ( 2012), Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials, , 3rd ed.., London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Rotter, R.. ( 2010;), ‘“ Hanging in-between”: Experiences of waiting among asylum seekers living in Glasgow. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Edinburgh:: University of Edinburgh;, https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/5839/Rotter2010.pdf?sequence=2. Accessed 3 June 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Rotter, R.. ( 2016;), ‘ Waiting in the asylum determination process: Just an empty interlude?. ’, Time & Society, 25:1, pp. 80101.
    [Google Scholar]
  53. Rydzik, A.,, Pritchard, A.,, Morgan, N., and Sedgley, D.. ( 2013;), ‘ The potential of arts-based transformative research. ’, Annals of Tourism Research, 40:0, pp. 283305.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Sales, R.. ( 2002;), ‘ The deserving and the undeserving? Refugees, asylum seekers and welfare in Britain. ’, Critical Social Policy, 22:3, pp. 45678.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Smith, L.,, Bratini, L.,, Chambers, D. A.,, Vance Jensen, R., and Romero, L.. ( 2017;), ‘ Between idealism and reality: Meeting the challenges of participatory action research. ’, Action Research, 8:4, pp. 40725.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Smith, J. A., and Osborn, M.. ( 2008;), ‘ Interpretive phenomenological analysis. ’, in J. A. Smith. (ed.), Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods, , 2nd ed.., Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;, pp. 5380.
    [Google Scholar]
  57. Stewart, E., and Mulvey, G.. ( 2014;), ‘ Seeking safety beyond refuge: The impact of immigration and citizenship policy upon refugees in the UK. ’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 40:7, pp. 102339.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Taylor, B.. ( 2016;), ‘ Their only words of English were “Thank You”: Rights, gratitude and the “deserving” Hungarian refugees to Britain in 1956. ’, Journal of British Studies, 55:1, pp. 12044.
    [Google Scholar]
  59. Wang, C., and Burris, M. A.. ( 1997;), ‘ Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. ’, Health Education and Behavior, 24:3, pp. 36987.
    [Google Scholar]
  60. Watrin, R.. ( 1999;), ‘ Art as research. ’, Canadian Review of Art Education, 26:2, pp. 92100.
    [Google Scholar]
  61. Wright, T.. ( 2002;), ‘ Moving images: The media representations of refugees. ’, Visual Studies, 17:1, pp. 5366.
    [Google Scholar]
  62. Stavropoulou, N.. ( 2019;), ‘ Understanding the “bigger picture”: Lessons learned from participatory visual arts-based research with individuals seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. ’, Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture, 10:1, pp. 95118, doi: 10.1386/cjmc.10.1.95_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/cjmc.10.1.95_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/cjmc.10.1.95_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error