Go-along Interviews Research Articles

Troubling go-alongs through the lens of care

Go alongs are a popular research method for studying everyday mobility practices, providing insight into embodied experiences of engaging with lived environments. Generally considered positive and productive, there is increasingly discussion of go-along interviews as emotionally, cognitively and physically demanding. We consider care an essential component of go-along interviews. However, this has been overlooked in scholarship; particularly the relationality of care, including care of the researcher. We provide four vignettes discussing our experiences of conducting 118 go-along interviews with residents living in or near London Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Reflecting on care-full encounters, we highlight the role of reciprocity, solidarity, and mutual understanding, strengthened by the recognition of shared experiences. Reflecting on care-less encounters, we highlight how, by disrupting traditional research hierarchies, go-along interviews can expose marginalised and stigmatised researchers to abuse. Overall, our vignettes demonstrate that care is a relationally produced, shared accomplishment involving both the researcher and the participant.

Visual disability in spatio-temporal assemblages: conceptualizing reference points from a non-pointillist perspective

ABSTRACT Reference points provide crucial spatial information for people with visual disabilities, and existing literature categorizes and describes their functions. However, these studies still adhere to a geographical pointillist logic that perceives points as fixed and stable entities and overlooks corporeal processes through which reference points are created. Utilizing concepts from Deleuze-Guattarian philosophy and drawing from sit-down and go-along interviews with visually disabled people, this article answers the question of how to conceptualize reference points from a non-pointillist perspective. By elucidating how reference points need to be actualized through affirmative bodily acts of complex spatio-temporal assemblages, it dismantles their seemingly disembodied and static nature. Consequently, the text explores reference points interwoven with diverse assemblages and examines scenarios in which suitable assemblages could not be assembled, nor could reference points, therefore, be actualized. Thus, the article departs from conceiving of points solely as nouns and presents them in verbal terms, effectively reconciling stability with dynamism.

Drowning Out the Noise

How does music listening in headphones function as an extension of the queer self in the public sphere? In what ways does this music support, exhibit, or conceal the presentation of gender and sexuality in these heteronormative publics? Awarded the 2022 Frederick Niecks Essay Prize and exhibited at Northwestern University in 2023, this project explores the extent to which this private listening adds to or alters the physical presentation of an individual and supports the action of existing queer in public spatialities, through the lens of Goffman’s “Territories of the Self (1971).” Methodologically, this work experiments with queer sonic ethnography through the dissemination of 18 sections of audio from six Go-Along interviews, a methodology developed by Kusenbach in “Street Phenomenology: The Go-Along as Ethnographic Research Tool (2003).” I aim to answer Steven Feld’s 2014 imagination of “an anthropology in sound” and to build upon Rooke’s 2009 writings on queering ethnographic research, particularly in its methods. I present this work as a report of an experiment in queer sonic ethnography, in the hope that it may further research into the public and private lives of queer individuals and provide a deeper insight into the street soundscape of the queer everyday.

Women trail runners’ encounters with vulnerability to male harassment in rural off-road spaces

ABSTRACT The #metoo movement and high-profile coverage of murders of women in public spaces have reignited investigation of public harassment and women’s actions as they make decisions where and how to engage in outdoor physical activity. This paper draws from the ideas of Lefebvre (1991) and Massey (1994) to understand women trail runners’ spatial experiences in England. Sixteen women who trail run by themselves participated in go-along interviews in their usual running trails. This method allowed participants to recall moments in specific spaces or address spaces that generate particular feelings, and encouraged the researcher to gain a sensory understanding of the spaces which were important to participants. We analyse the production of the trail through runners’ interactions with people and environment inside and outside the trail, and discuss enjoyment as well as perceptions of vulnerability to male harassment and ‘risky’ moments. Ultimately, despite runners regularly feeling vulnerable when running, they refused to stop. At a time when physical activity and natural environments are being promoted as key contributors to personal wellbeing and public health, this research provides evidence of how the production of spaces and safety negotiations affect women’s running experiences.

Between consultation and partnership: participation styles in Swedish urban revitalization processes involving disabled people

ABSTRACT Inclusive urban design relies on the participation of disabled persons. This study examines how the involvement of this group is perceived and managed in three revitalization initiatives applying current legal and moral requirements, e.g. ‘universal design’. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on go-along interviews and participant observation in projects related to public places and buildings in three Swedish cities. Two participation styles were developed: Consultation and Partnership. Officials were focused on Consultation while disability organizations desired Partnership. There were overlapping styles in terms of organization, identification, and internal tensions, leading to misunderstandings about collaboration, participants’ legitimacy, and opportunities for influence.

Through the Looking Screen: Exploring Familiar Places Through Google Maps Street View

The widespread of digitalization and its consequent adoption of digital navigation tools has led to an increased digitally mediated wayfinding of unknown and known places. In this study, the focus was placed on the latter, namely the exploration of familiar places through Google Maps. This study aimed to understand how familiar places are digitally revisited through the use of the popular Google Maps Street View. By employing digital go-along interviews, participants were invited to choose a known place which they have not physically visited in a significant amount of time and guide a digital walk. By adopting an agential realist theoretical perspective, Google Maps Street View is articulated as a more-than-digital tool. The main emerging themes consisted of the experienced disruptive elements leading to workarounds, the existent spatiotemporal shifts, and the visibility of present and absent matter emerging from the intra-actions of human and non-human actors. The work illustrates how digital places are understood and engaged with, and how meaning is ascribed to such digital worlds which come into being through an entanglement of memories, physicality, and digital elements. The paper contributes to an understanding of digital place, being of relevance to future directions in the development of similar navigational technologies, and to policy and legislation being formulated in this area.

"I Go Outdoors for Activities Every Day": Go-Along With Seniors With Slow Walking Speeds to Explore Environmental Factors Influencing Mobility.

This study aims to: 1) Explore the mobility experiences of seniors with slow walking speeds (SSWS) in urban neighborhoods; and 2) Investigate their environmental barriers and supports. Go-along interviews were conducted with 36 SSWS residing in urban neighborhoods of Chongqing City, China. The mobility patterns and built environment factors influencing their mobility were revealed through cartographic analysis and thematic analysis. SSWS primarily focused their activities within a 400-meter radius of their homes. Built environment themes included topography, neighborhood services, sidewalks, seating, traffic safety, weather, greenery, and lighting. Significant mobility barriers included long stairs, steep slopes, fast-moving objects on sidewalks, road crossings, and fast traffic. Available handrails, nearby food-service places, ample seating, and greenery were identified as supportive factors for their mobility. This study stands out as the first to specifically examine the mobility of SSWS within the built environment. We suggest that SSWS should be taken into account when establishing a benchmark for general design frameworks. These improvements not only contribute to the mobility of slow walkers but also have positive impacts on the broader population.

“When we were allowed to go back … the freedom, the vista, the delight … It was just magic”: Disruption and adaptation among people ageing-in-place in Ireland during COVID-19

COVID-19 person-place disruptions may dislocate enabling resources and affect the short- and long-term wellbeing of individuals ageing-in-place. However, outcomes may vary according to individuals' personal experiences and capabilities to put in place adaptive strategies. Underpinned by the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study aimed to identify shifts in older people's relationships to place during the pandemic and to gain a deeper understanding of their adaptive strategies. We analysed data collected between April–May and October–November 2021 from the [Details omitted for double-blind reviewing], a qualitative investigation of community-dwellers based in Ireland and aged 65 years or over. Participants (n = 57) completed written submissions, narrative interviews and/or go-along interviews detailing their experiences during the pandemic. The mean age of participants was 74.9 years, 53% were female, 46% lived alone, and 86% lived in areas with high urban influence. Our framework analysis identified three thematic categories: 1) Characterization of individuals experiencing flow or disruption of place-resources; 2) Effects of place-resource disruptions; and 3) Adaptive strategies to manage disruption. Findings suggest that during the pandemic individuals ageing-in-place experienced trajectories of resistant flow, resilient flow, chronic disruption, or delayed disruption of place-resources, Participants' health and wellbeing was influenced in diverse ways by the threat of- and actual loss of material, social and affective resources. To compensate for disruptions, participants developed multiple adaptive strategies that highlight older people's potential to transform themselves, others, and their environments during times of adversity. These findings showcase the processes by which health enabling places may be maintained and generated, and present areas of opportunity for public health interventions seeking to support ageing populations during public health emergencies and beyond.

While clearing the forests: The social-ecological memory of trees in the Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene concept raises awareness of human-induced planetary changes but is criticized for being 'too global'. We examined the social-ecological memory that emerges from people-tree relationships in South American temperate territories, Chile. We integrated dendrochronology (analysis of tree rings of 35 memorial trees; 17 species) with dendrography (participant observation complemented with semi-structured and go-along interviews with 14 interviewees; six women, eight men). We found that assemblages of people-tree relationships reflect marked historical changes in the territory, associated with the historical clearing of forests, which may be imprinted in both tree growth rings and in the social meanings and practices associated with memorial trees. In devastated territories, practices of tree care emphasize interconnectedness, multispecies collaborations, and the blurring of boundaries between humans and other-than-humans. We discuss some of the interdisciplinary and relational insights of our study, which may prove valuable for future research, political agendas, and educational programs in South America and beyond.

“Knowing My Way around” – The Role of Urban Spaces for Migrant Identity Content and Sense of Belonging in Germany

ABSTRACT Sense of belonging (SoB) and identity content have been studied focusing on social relations, but, as we suggest, might also involve a spatial dimension. The present project set out to better understand the relationship between space, SoB and identity content in the context of relocation. The research consisted of qualitative semi-structured and go-along interviews with 36 external migrants who live in four different German cities: Berlin, Bremen, Leipzig or Stuttgart. Using Thematic Analysis four themes were developed: Spaces to stand out and fit in, spaces of being oneself, spaces of well-being and spaces of familiarity. Results indicate that certain spaces, such as all-white or discriminatory spaces stimulate “foreigner”-identity content and evoke feelings of non-belonging. Other spaces, such as blue-green, aesthetic, familiar concept or multicultural spaces allow participants to experience identity continuity and develop SoB. Furthermore, results show two sides of being perceived in public spaces, and the importance not only of positive daily interactions, but of immersing oneself passively into social life, of blending in and of celebrating one’s culture. Results are discussed with a special focus on the role of “nodding encounters” and urban blue green spaces.

Finding your way: exploring urban park users’ engagement with a wayfinding intervention through intercept go-along interviews

ABSTRACT This study explores urban park users’ engagement with a wayfinding intervention from a natural experimental study- The Delapré Walk Project. A qualitative approach was taken, with 16 intercept go-along interviews conducted with 28 local park users while they engaged with the greenspace. Barriers to greenspace access included a lack of seating and unfamiliarity with distances and footpath terrains. The inclusion of a walking route distance on wayfinding signage was valued by visitors, enabling them to make capability decisions about distances to be walked. The greenspace offered an escape from the urban environment, with some respondents explicitly stating that they did not want to see urban infrastructure within the park. This carries an important implication for wayfinding design to ensure the materials used are in-keeping with the surrounding environment. Frequent park users positively received the wayfinding intervention and whilst the main values were seen for infrequent visitors, those familiar with the park also reported increased engagement with the greenspace due to the intervention. Our research shows the value of low-cost and effective community-informed wayfinding interventions, which are essential for increasing recreational walking activity and community health within urban greenspaces. Importantly, our findings highlight wide-reaching benefits, particularly for infrequent greenspace users, older adults and those with mobility impairments, demonstrating how such interventions can help ensure equitable access to greenspace for everyone.

Urban informality, culture, and participation of people with mobility impairments in Tegalrejo, Indonesia

Taking a Global South perspective, we investigate the influence of informality and socio-cultural norms on the mobility and participation of people with mobility impairments in public activities. Sit-down and go-along interviews, and GPS tracking/plotting were conducted to gather data from 14 participants living in urban neighbourhoods of Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Thematic analysis and qualitative Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to analyse data. Findings show that mobility barriers and enablers based on the everyday experience of participants are made up of inter-related physical and socio-cultural dimensions. Urban informality generates barriers to mobility, but participants could tactically use aspects of such informality to facilitate their movement. Tegalrejo’s kampung collectivism generates opportunities for mobility and community participation. However, participants are often excluded in the guise of pemakluman. These findings add to existing literature on disability, place, and mobility in urban contexts by providing insights about the influence of neighbourhood conditions in Tegalrejo.

“Wait, really, stop, stop!”: Go-along interviews with visually disabled people and the pitfalls of ableist methodologies

Despite the growing interest in walking methods in disability research, their methodological difficulties are rarely examined. Therefore, we debate the challenges of doing go-along interviews with visually disabled people when geographically studying blind experience with urban space. The article is divided into two parts. The methodological part examines the difficulties we encountered to contribute to the critical discussion of the ableist nature of both methodologies and post qualitative inquiry, and their interconnection with ableist conceptions of walking, talking, and space. Second, we discuss the epistemological consequences of go-along interviews, which have the potential to challenge existing thinking, ableist conceptions of space, and, consequently, the given discipline. The result is a constructivist conception of science that modifies human geography through visual disability and visual disability through human geography.

Barriers and facilitators of the built environment towards social participation, mental and physical health outcomes among seniors residing in a low-income urban community in Singapore: A qualitative study.

Background and Introduction: Health is complex and multifaceted, comprising domains including but not limited to physical, mental, and psychological health. While the built environment has proven to influence these domains, literature is still lacking in studying the effect of the built environment on social participation, as well as its influence on health outcomes in Singapore’s local context. Given the nation’s rapidly ageing population, rising chronic conditions and increased load in the provision of care, there is an urgent need for effective solutions to improve health. In particular, the built environment holds great potential, offering an opportunity for simple, tangible, and long-lasting interventions.
 Objective: This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators of the built environment, both tangible and non-tangible, that limited or facilitated social participation in communal activities among seniors residing in a low-income urban community in Singapore.
 Methods: Photovoice go-along interviews were conducted in addition to semi-structured sit-down interviews with 25 seniors aged 65 and above residing in a low-income urbanised community, Marine Parade. Participants took the interviewer on a journey through their neighbourhood with polaroid cameras, then using the instant photographs, spoke of their thoughts and shared stories related to the aim of study. These interviews focused on elucidating the aspects of the built environment, both tangible and non-tangible, that limited or facilitated social participation and ultimately mental well-being, and physical health outcomes. All in-depth interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and uploaded into the qualitative software NVivo, and responses were coded with theoretical and emergent themes regarding participants’ perceptions of the built environment. Key conceptual categories were constantly refined until a saturation of categories informed a framework outlining the aspects of the built environment that impacted health outcomes.
 Findings: Collectively, 106 categories and 18 broader themes emerged. These preliminary themes reflected concerns of mobility as well as convenience, circulation, visibility, recognisability, and peacefulness of the space. Ideas were shared about how to improve the safety of pathways and routes, linkages to transportation as well as how to leverage on existing unused space to encourage social interaction. 
 Implications on Ageing and Gerontology: Understanding how the built environment influences social participation could be key to changing health outcomes. As we grow into a Super-Aged Society, we hope to harness the full potential of the built environment towards independent and joyful ageing.

Producing whiteness through urban space: the socio-spatial construction of white identities in Amsterdam

ABSTRACT This article argues for an approach to the formation of whiteness that includes an explicit focus on urban neighbourhood spaces. Extending literature that mainly focuses on whiteness at the national scale, I propose an understanding of the construction of white identities as a co-constitutive process between space and race. My analysis is based on ethnographic research in a diverse neighbourhood in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that included observations as well as narrative and go-along interviews with people racialised as white and of colour. By identifying four socio-spatial practices, I show how the construction of white identities is a socio-spatial process.

Children's experiences of care on walking and cycling journeys between home and school in Healthy New Towns: Reframing active school travel

The Healthy New Town programme in England set out to ‘put health into place’ by supporting the design and construction of healthy places to live, including by creating safe environments for active travel. To explore the impact of this approach, this study examined how children and their families experienced school journeys in two contrasting Healthy New Towns in England, one an affluent new town in the early stages of construction and the other more economically deprived and established. We undertook photo-elicitation and go-along interviews with 24 children aged 7-12 years and semi-structured interviews with 17 caregivers. We found that experiences of care were important for children's school travel. In the ‘deprived’ town, opportunities for children to care and to be cared for were enjoyed, facilitated by routes with limited traffic, pockets of ‘nature’, and possibilities to encounter meaningful others. For families living in a town under construction, the need to negotiate unfinished travel infrastructure, and a sense of being ‘in limbo’, was experienced as an absence of care by planners and developers. Interventions to promote children's active travel should consider the role of care-full planning in facilitating walking and cycling journeys.

Using spatial video geonarratives to improve nursing care for people who use drugs and experience homelessness: Amethodology for nurses.

People who are insecurely housed and use drugs are disproportionately affected by drug poisonings. Nurses are uniquely positioned to utilize harm reduction strategies to address the needs of the whole person. Needle debris encompasses drug paraphernalia discarded in public spaces. Studying needle debris provides a strategic opportunity to identify where drugs are being used and target public health strategies accordingly. Our aim in this article is to illustrate how spatial video geonarratives (SVG) combined GPS technology interviews, and videos of locations with needle debris, can elicitvaluable data for nursing research. Using SVG required knowledge of how to collect data wearing cameras and practice sessions were necessary. A Miufly camera worn at waist height on a belt provided the stability to walk while interviewing stakeholders. We wore the cameras and conducted go-along interviews with outreach workers, while filming the built environment. Upon completion of data collection, both the interview and GPS information were analysed using Wordmapper software. This methodology resulted in data presented uniquely in both a visual map and narrative. These data were richer than if a single modality had been used. These data highlighted specific contextual factors that were related to the location of needle debris, which created opportunities for nursing interventions to support people experiencing vulnerability.

Examining gender differences in adolescent exposure to food and beverage marketing through go-along interviews

This study explores how adolescents engage with unhealthy food and beverage marketing in online settings, from a gender perspective. Employing an online ethnography approach and using go-along interviews, we explored the experiences of adolescent boys and girls aged 13–17 as they navigated their online experiences with digital food and beverage marketing. Notable themes emerged, including the identification of predatory actions by food companies, the role of protective factors such as family, and the influence of social media influencers in shaping adolescent dietary preferences. Importantly, this research unearthed gender disparities in the participants' responses. Girls, in particular, exhibited a heightened awareness of the protective role played by their families, emphasized the influence of color in marketing strategies, recognized the significance of gender in marketing, and reported exposure to alcohol advertisements—findings that boys less frequently echoed. The study underscores the importance of adolescence as a critical phase in development, during which food companies target these impressionable individuals, driven by their independence and potential for brand loyalty. Moreover, it highlights the potential avenue of gender-specific marketing, offering valuable insights into the gendered dimensions of adolescents' food marketing experiences.By examining the interplay between digital food marketing and gender, this research addresses a critical gap in the literature, shedding light on how gender influences adolescents' perceptions, responses, and behaviors in the context of food marketing strategies. These findings have the potential to inform adolescents of the marketing techniques that target them and guide policymakers in developing and implementing evidence-based regulations aimed at safeguarding adolescents from exposure to unhealthy food marketing.

Factors that are perceived as supporting or hindering active school travel (AST): go-along interviews with primary school children and their parents

ABSTRACT Children’s school journeys can provide a daily source of physical activity, social interaction, and independence. Many studies focus on quantitative analyses of factors influencing active school travel (AST) from an adult-centric perspective. This study analyses children’s and adults’ perspectives on school travel behaviour and route perceptions using qualitative walking interviews. We conducted 14 go-along interviews with primary school children and their parents along different routes to school in Leipzig, Germany. We transcribed the interviews, analysed the factors perceived to support or hinder AST and mapped the route perceptions. The results of our study provide detailed insights into individual, family and route environment-related factors of AST. Perceived traffic safety along the routes was most relevant for all parents we interviewed. The other factors differed according to the mode of transport and accompaniment. Children who regularly walk to school report on numerous positively perceived places, e.g. associated with social interaction, play, and hiding activities. Our findings suggest that enabling children to gain positive experiences along their routes might be a chance to increase active and independent school travel.

Constructing hermeneutical relations: a postphenomenological inquiry into immersive VR memory palaces

While VR adaptations of the mnemonic Method of Loci (or the ‘Memory Palace’ technique) show promising results in increasing mnemonic capabilities, little to no research has explored the use and integration of Virtual Memory Palaces over time in a context of self-initiated studying. To explore the use of Virtual Memory Palaces (VMPs) contextually, we conducted an in-the-wild study where we gave ten participants a VR Head-Mounted Display through which they could access and furnish their VMP over eight weeks. We conducted go-along interviews in our participants’ VMPs at various intervals throughout the eight-week study, exploring their creations and querying them about their experience. Based on our findings, this article discusses individual and contextual factors that come into play when a VMP is approached as a personal project in the midst of an already-established study routine. We frame our study as a postphenomenological inquiry into the mediating effects of VMPs, where our primary interest lies in what relationship the students developed to the VMP.