“Disciplined research in undisciplined settings”: Critical explorations of in situ and mobile methodologies in geographies of health and wellbeing
“Disciplined research in undisciplined settings”: Critical explorations of in situ and mobile methodologies in geographies of health and wellbeing
In situ and mobile methodologies are increasingly popular within research into diverse geographies of health and wellbeing. These methodologies include data‐gathering techniques and modes of analysis carried out with research participants as they experience and move through settings with the potential to shape both momentary and longer‐term experiences of health and wellbeing. This methodological development is both a response to and reflection of wider methodological and theoretical thinking across human geography, especially in relation to mobilities, performative, co‐productive, and active ways to access and produce knowledge. In addition, the past few decades have seen increased access to geo‐spatial technologies and tools to both locate and record experiential place‐based knowledge. Such methods are capable of producing important new knowledge concerning the emergence (or foreclosing) of health and wellbeing in and through place, yet they are often perceived as “risky,” drawing researchers out of their traditional researcher‐controlled environments. Based on discussions developed during and since a July 2018 in situ and mobile methods workshop, this paper discusses the benefits of negotiating the (at times) somewhat messy and unpredictable research encounters that can unfold through such methods. It incorporates examples from recent and ongoing doctoral and post‐doctoral research in health and wellbeing using out situ (in situ outdoors) methodological approaches in Britain and Ireland – including go‐along interviews, video ethnography, elicitation, and biosensing. Three core themes are presented, concerning the value of mobile and in situ methods in: (1) supporting an ethic of care; (2) attending to more‐than‐human dynamics of health and wellbeing; and (3) integrating matter and meaning in contemporary efforts to understand how health and wellbeing unfold and accrete in and through place.
Foley, Ronan
ea18fc0d-2437-4f05-9af4-e4de1a4c9d32
Bell, Sarah L.
d6939b9b-86ef-470c-a9a2-c75e35f0c756
Gittins, Heli
a445013d-c2d6-4d61-a00a-33b5cbad9eec
Grove, Hannah
cc694eb3-095d-44bc-92fa-fb30fc922c43
Kaley, Alexandra
d4e012e5-01e6-4ab4-98e8-098a9b36b2fc
Mclauchlan, Anna
861970c6-24e8-44b7-9e18-2baa52cabdd5
Osborne, Tess
42dfa00c-091a-42a8-8ba9-e50f8c04162d
Power, Andrew
b3a1ee09-e381-413a-88ac-7cb3e13b3acc
Roberts, Erin
2b9f5e80-e64b-418b-8702-a84af04661cd
Thomas, Merryn
6bdda247-a127-44ef-9fd3-d67c7d7b7ce3
Foley, Ronan
ea18fc0d-2437-4f05-9af4-e4de1a4c9d32
Bell, Sarah L.
d6939b9b-86ef-470c-a9a2-c75e35f0c756
Gittins, Heli
a445013d-c2d6-4d61-a00a-33b5cbad9eec
Grove, Hannah
cc694eb3-095d-44bc-92fa-fb30fc922c43
Kaley, Alexandra
d4e012e5-01e6-4ab4-98e8-098a9b36b2fc
Mclauchlan, Anna
861970c6-24e8-44b7-9e18-2baa52cabdd5
Osborne, Tess
42dfa00c-091a-42a8-8ba9-e50f8c04162d
Power, Andrew
b3a1ee09-e381-413a-88ac-7cb3e13b3acc
Roberts, Erin
2b9f5e80-e64b-418b-8702-a84af04661cd
Thomas, Merryn
6bdda247-a127-44ef-9fd3-d67c7d7b7ce3
Foley, Ronan, Bell, Sarah L., Gittins, Heli, Grove, Hannah, Kaley, Alexandra, Mclauchlan, Anna, Osborne, Tess, Power, Andrew, Roberts, Erin and Thomas, Merryn
(2019)
“Disciplined research in undisciplined settings”: Critical explorations of in situ and mobile methodologies in geographies of health and wellbeing.
Area.
(doi:10.1111/area.12604).
Abstract
In situ and mobile methodologies are increasingly popular within research into diverse geographies of health and wellbeing. These methodologies include data‐gathering techniques and modes of analysis carried out with research participants as they experience and move through settings with the potential to shape both momentary and longer‐term experiences of health and wellbeing. This methodological development is both a response to and reflection of wider methodological and theoretical thinking across human geography, especially in relation to mobilities, performative, co‐productive, and active ways to access and produce knowledge. In addition, the past few decades have seen increased access to geo‐spatial technologies and tools to both locate and record experiential place‐based knowledge. Such methods are capable of producing important new knowledge concerning the emergence (or foreclosing) of health and wellbeing in and through place, yet they are often perceived as “risky,” drawing researchers out of their traditional researcher‐controlled environments. Based on discussions developed during and since a July 2018 in situ and mobile methods workshop, this paper discusses the benefits of negotiating the (at times) somewhat messy and unpredictable research encounters that can unfold through such methods. It incorporates examples from recent and ongoing doctoral and post‐doctoral research in health and wellbeing using out situ (in situ outdoors) methodological approaches in Britain and Ireland – including go‐along interviews, video ethnography, elicitation, and biosensing. Three core themes are presented, concerning the value of mobile and in situ methods in: (1) supporting an ethic of care; (2) attending to more‐than‐human dynamics of health and wellbeing; and (3) integrating matter and meaning in contemporary efforts to understand how health and wellbeing unfold and accrete in and through place.
Text
Revised_Submission_Area
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
Revised Submission Area
Restricted to Repository staff only
Request a copy
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 14 November 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 November 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 437777
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437777
ISSN: 0004-0894
PURE UUID: ef4083cf-75c4-451a-a96f-3ed72f29099a
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 17 Feb 2020 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:19
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Ronan Foley
Author:
Sarah L. Bell
Author:
Heli Gittins
Author:
Hannah Grove
Author:
Alexandra Kaley
Author:
Anna Mclauchlan
Author:
Tess Osborne
Author:
Erin Roberts
Author:
Merryn Thomas
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics