Participatory Drawing as a Method to Explore Youth Sense of Place

Informed by a study on a place-based action civics curriculum implemented in middle schools in Nashville, TN, this paper offers methodological guidance for using participatory drawing in focus groups with young people to elicit insights and reflections on the neighborhood environment. In the study, youth participants were prompted in focus groups to “draw your neighborhood as you see it,” and asked to add elements that would improve their neighborhoods, particularly to make their neighborhood healthier, safer, and more affordable. Subsequent focus group questions prompted students to reflect on how they perceive their neighborhood and city, and what they took away from their experience with the curriculum. In this paper, we describe our iterative adaptation of the participatory drawing approach, as we sought to realize its potential for fostering engagement, amplifying youth voices, and supporting youth in exploring how they perceive their neighborhoods and sense of place. Strengths of the approach include the potential of using drawing to build comfort in the beginning of a focus group, the possibility of engaging young people who may feel less comfortable speaking in a focus group setting, and the opportunity to “bring the neighborhood” into the physical setting of the focus group. Limitations to this method can include challenges in finding adequate time for the activity and struggles with expression through art for some student participants. Through this paper we argue that person-centered visual methods, such as participatory drawing, are a promising approach for place-based research as they encourage individual reflection, promote dialogue, and help illuminate the ways young people understand and experience their neighborhoods. We contend that by expanding our ability to effectively capture and analyze multiple forms of meaning-making, visualization, and communication, we can advance what is currently known about young people’s relationships with their surrounding environments, particularly their neighborhoods.