Drawing-Observation-Voice. The Discussion of a Methodological Suggestion for Child-Centered Ethnographic Research

Abstract

Finding suitable research methods in academic disciplines that address childhood diversity re-mains a challenge. In my work, I present the Drawing-Observation-Voice (DOV) method with children in the Andean region of Peru. DOV is a drawing-based method oriented towards the experiences and perspectives of boys and girls. While drawing, conversations can be started, as if they were habitual. Participant observation and ethnographic research complement the empirical material around the drawings elaborated by two 8-yearold boys. The extended case study is devoted to Alex, a Quechua- and Spanish-speaking boy, and his neighbor Tim, who lives in the same village. At a methodological level, concrete
interactions between the researcher and the two children are considered. The article reflects on how it could be possible to achieve an open attitude that integrates the interests of the research participants into the child-centered research presented here, taking into account their personal biographies, the use of different languages, the dynamics within the small group of participants, and the sociocultural context.