Methodological-methodical approaches to children's drawings in qualitative social science research

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Melanie Kubandt
• Subject Area: Educational Research on Socialization, Welfare and Professionalism
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 435379515

In the context of social science research, children's drawings are an integral part of the canon of research methods, particularly in the context of research with and about children, but they have so far only been used to a limited extent in their empirical status as independent data types and mainly as supporting elements, e.g. in children’s interviews. Nevertheless, if children's drawings become the primary object of empirical research, it can be observed that the interpretation of children's drawings is still based on interviews, since the questioning of children about their drawings (during and after drawing) is considered as an obligatory element for an interpretation of their drawings. Furthermore, methodological-methodological considerations rarely focus on the relationship between the intention of the (image) producer to the viewer and the reception of the viewer and are consequently often equated unquestioningly. Accordingly, the empirical use of children's drawings within German social science research is characterized by a limited perspective. Certainly, there are a few empirical perspectives of interpretation beyond psychological or diagnostic approaches, e.g. along the documentary method or hermeneutic iconic interpretation, but further discoursal space consists here in deepening these approaches, and especially in contrasting these empirical approaches to children’s drawings analysis. The fact that German and English international discourses on children's drawings take place almost separately and are not interlinked up to now, certainly offers further potential for fundamental discussions on children's drawings.Against this background, the network strives for a synopsis and an in-depth discussion of the analytical approaches worked out so far under methodological-methodological desiderata as well as under inclusion of the international discourse. The network thus reacts to the prevailing need for deeper reflections: which analytical approaches to children's drawings entail which specific potentials and limits? In what connection does this relate to the specific expressive materiality of children's drawings and their theoretical understanding? The deeper understanding and discussion of different approaches, also on an international level, within the network promises to open up new potentials and to further develop children's drawings with regard to their significance as independent data material in qualitative social science research.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Mirja Kekeritz