Dancing a research question? Expressing experience through soundscapes, theatre or spoken word? Medical anthropologists experiment with arts-based research methods
LUMAN
How can arts-based research methods enrich medical anthropological research on sensitive and embodied topics such as grief and death, violence, mental health, aging and bodily change? On Monday the 5th of October we gathered for an experiment under the expert leadership Tamar Shahinian, who guided us into experiencing these methods ourselves. We then discussed how to embed these approaches in concrete research projects.
We discussed the possibilities of either tailoring the art method to what a group is familiar with or exploring frictions when introducing something completely new. The data we gather through a particular arts-based method also depends significantly on whether the activity is undertaken individually or collectively. To work with arts-based methods it is advisable to prepare participants with practical tools and guidance, which also implies that this type of research takes time. One benefit of using art-based methods is that it may help to articulate experiences that are difficult to discuss in a more conventional interview.
One of the examples of what we produced in this session is a spoken word poem written by Nikki Mulder and Miriam Waltz, which you will find below (in Dutch). Many thanks to Tamar Shahinian and Jolanda Lindenberg for facilitating this session.
Het kopje is al kapot
Miriam Waltz & Nikki Mulder
ik weet dat iets ertoe doet
wanneer het zwaar weegt
ik het niet een andere kant op kan duwen
i gave birth to someone
to something
just so she can die
maar betekenis verschijnt tussen de regels
tussen schepping en het einde
hier en nu
ik zoek naar aanwezigheid
naar iemand ontmoeten waar zij is
en tijd geven
ik kan niet stil blijven
betekenis is achilles, het is koekjes, de goeie volgorde
het is verzet, dat wat er net naast zit
het is stickers plakken, je ai troep is tantoe lelijk
het is dichtbij en misschien een beetje lullig
niet het uitzoomen
niet het onvermijdelijke breken
alles daartussen, ertussenin, en daarna
en daarin rust vinden
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Dancing a research question? -
Expressing experience through soundscapes, theatre or spoken word? -
Medical anthropologists experiment with arts-based research methods
Arts-based research session in medical anthropology part 2.