Creative Methods and Ethics
Over the past few weeks I have been wrapped up with family demands, a really busy work life doing some exciting and interesting work, whilst carrying a bit of a nasty cold (actually a lot of a nasty cold). In fact before the cold made itself known it appeared mysteriously in an ink drawing depicting lungs and a sore throat. As someone once said to me "the body keeps the score".
So, recent events have prevented me from capturing some thoughts following an event I spoke at recently, and I want to capture them because they consolidate some of my recent thinking.
On the 24th of April I was invited to join the Anglia Ruskin Grounded Theory Network to talk about some of the ethical issues that I had observed in using arts based research methods. Putting to one side my concern that I am not a grounded theorist (did I just say that out loud?!) I was really delighted to be presenting alongside Helen Kara, one of the leading scholars of creative research methods, and with my co-convener of the Non Traditional Research Methods Network (NTRM) Dr Jacquie Ridge (whom I often refer to as my co-conspirator...) Jacquie is a Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing at the University of Northampton - and a 'proper' Visual Grounded Theorist. I found myself in excellent company.
Although I find presentations like this completely nerve-wracking (the imposter within), I have ultimately concluded that the threat of public humiliation is an excellent driver that forces me to order my thoughts. The awareness of an audience means not only do I have to explain my ideas to them, but most importantly to my 'inner critic' first, before they see the light of day. It's a good discipline.
Helen's presentation made the case that the ethics of creative methods do not diverge greatly from ethical approaches to any other kind of research. The small gold nugget that I took away from Helen's presentation was learning about indigenous research ethics. There is a short video of Helen explaining this - what it is, and how it differs from the existing euro-western paradigms of ethics and research.
I am unsure how to navigate the appropriation of cultures that are different to the culture I have grown up in, and whether or not that equips me (it doesn't) to fully understand the underpinning principles but what I did take away from it was the notion of shared accountability and responsibility in research. The positions of researcher/researched are fluid, not fixed. Indigenous research methods adopts a relational stance and foregrounds how power has operated in the context of euro-western ethics principles and process is. Jacquie then picked up the baton to explore the role of power in ethics.
I was delighted of course, that quite by accident, we three found ourselves on the same page, noticing similar things (as well as points of divergence). For my part I noodled around ethics in practice, posing the following provocations:
What and who are ethics for?
It occurred to me that ethics procedures assume fixity in the positions of researcher and researched but creative methods (particularly artography), the researcher is also the researched. Should an ethics code for creative methods require researchers to express, and promote reflection on, the multiple positions adopted by those engaged in the research and the potential for harm arising from the fluidity of those positions? Should it also recognise the impact of relational dynamics on ethics in group contexts?
Who do we include (and exclude) through the choices we make, in arts-based methods?
I gave two examples of individual experiences that enriched my research practice and awareness of issues of inclusion in creative methods.
The first was a colleague who disclosed they were neurodiverse, and for whom a making activity such as collage-making filled them 'with horror' because it was unstructured and open-ended. In response I developed a structured framework for the activity, and a set of reflective questions.
The second was a colleague who disclosed they had a sight disability which meant they felt unable to engage with a drawing or collage activity and so I introduced some textured and sound-making materials into the workshop.
From an ethical perspective, should a code of ethics require researchers that are using visual and art-based approaches to adopt inclusive activities. My experience has been that responding to these experiences has led to a more inclusive and methodologically robust approach to the research, as all voices can be represented within the research.
How do we research the affective domain, effectively and safely?
I notice that using arts-based methods often opens up the affective domain for participants, and whilst I happen to have an entry-level counselling qualification that has partly equipped me for moments like this (and I have a framework in place to support participants), it raises the question for me of whether or not researchers should ensure they have strategies or skills in place to respond when these moments happen. So, should a code of ethics for creative methods advise/expect researchers to develop the capability needed to safely explore the affective domain with both self and others?
What are the ethical issues that arise from questions of ownership in creative methods?
Arts-based methods raise again the question of who owns the data that is generated. Should a code of ethics advise researchers to reflect on who owns what, what ownership entails and how ownership of creative artefacts is expressed (or not expressed) and negotiated? (See e.g. Creativity & The Law: Collage and Fair Use under the Copyright Laws, and Who Owns Outsider Art)
What are the environmental and social impacts of the creative artefacts produced?
The final provocation was prompted by the act of cleaning up a room in which I had run a collage-making session and suddenly becoming aware of the waste paper, plastic materials (or plastic coated materials), the adhesive used and so on. All who know me, know that Hobbycraft is my second home...I started to wonder about the environmental impacts of the materials I was using. Should a code of ethics for creative methods explicitly promote sustainable art practices? (see the ProjectSeeds EU project). Furthermore, should we also be mindful about the potential impacts arising from displaying challenging or controversial art in public?
Preparing these provocations for others, has helped to consolidate some thinking around ethics and the disconnect that sometimes happens between the operational processes associated with gaining ethical approval, and ethical questions that emerge on the ground.
