This seminar will introduce body mapping as a participatory research method, both in theory and in practice. Body mapping is a visual method used in human geography, arts, sociology, medicine, psychology, and social sciences more broadly to understand people’s experiences with a variety of social phenomena, including (ill)health and wellbeing, migration, urban safety, and perceptions of (in)security. Body maps are life-sized images of bodies that participants draw during the body mapping workshops. There is usually a set of guided questions the participants «answer» using colours, newspaper images, symbols, and text. At the end of the workshops (and upon consent), the body maps are discussed in the group.
The first part of the seminar will introduce body mapping as a method. In the second part, participants have the possibility to try body mapping on A3 paper, either reflecting on their own research project or on another proposed topic. Important: Body mapping is not about being a great artist and you don’t need to be good at drawing – there will be enough materials to express yourself in different ways!
