The Dynamics of Show and Tell: Arts-Based Methods and Language Ideologies in Community-Based Research

Abstract

In this article, we examine the use of the arts as a means of conducting research based on community-based research (CBR) principles. Drawing from our experience of conducting the Canadian Experience research project, which examined the employment barriers faced by skilled immigrants to Canada and used arts-based methods informed by CBR principles, we explore how the concept of language ideology may be used to understand the utility of the arts as a CBR method. We highlight the importance of understanding language not only as a means of referring to the social world but also as a means of social action.