Children’s Drawings in Ethnographic Explorations: Analysis and Interpretations

Living reference work entry
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Part of the Geographies of Children and Young People book series (GCYP, volume 2)

Abstract

Children are the best informants on their own lives, and their abilities to interpret, express, and communicate their lived experiences should not be underestimated. This chapter reflects upon experiences with the method of using children’s drawing in ethnographic explorations. Ethnographic fieldwork has been acknowledged as particularly suitable in research with children as it allows the researcher to learn about children’s symbolic and social worlds from the children themselves. This chapter concerns research with bereaved children and shows how drawings, as part of ethnographic explorations, provided insight into children’s experiences of loss and bereavement. It discusses drawing as a meaning-making activity that helps children reflect upon and negotiate their memories of the past and those they have lost, their life in the present, and their prospects for the future.

Keywords

Ethnographic methods Children’s drawings Emotions Bereavement Zambia 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Singapore 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB)Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
  2. 2.Department of Social AnthropologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway

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