Researcher’s Reflections on Using the Mmogo-method and Other Visual Research Methods

Abstract

This chapter describes a researcher’s reflections on the use of visual data-collection methods, including the Mmogo-method, in a study aimed at enabling a shared engagement and understanding of children’s experiences of hope. The study was framed by two important hope dimensions: it is relational (hope exists through human interaction), and it continually reproduces itself (hope builds hope). Visual participatory methodology encouraged the participants to become directly involved in the data-creation process, providing opportunities for multiple forms of expression, and accommodating the barriers of language and culture. The study consisted of four visual methods: drawing, collage-making, the Mmogo-method and photo-voice. The data source for this chapter is the researcher’s journal, which captured in great detail, both visually and textually (through photos, personal reflections and process notes), the participants’ engagement with the visual research methods, and the participatory process as a whole. The researcher’s reflections indicate that the application of the Mmogo-method enabled the children to construct their own subjective hope experiences, while also facilitating a platform for collaborative and collective meaning-making. This chapter contributes to the field of social research, particularly in rural settings, by demonstrating how observational reflections on process can contribute by adding relevant, contextual insight into the participants’ interactions during participatory social research.