Enriching social work research through architectural multisensory methods: Strategies for connecting the built environment and human experience

Scholars have called for greater emphasis on the physical environment to expand social work research, policy, and practice; however, there has been little focus on the role of the built environment. Redressing this gap in the literature, this methodological paper explicates how four multisensory res...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inQualitative social work : QSW : research and practice Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 792 - 812
Main Authors Grittner, Alison L, Burns, Victoria F
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2021
Sage Publications Ltd
Subjects
Built environment
Marginality
Research methodology
Social work
Social work research
multisensory methods
visual methods
Built environment
arts-based methods
architecture
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Summary:Scholars have called for greater emphasis on the physical environment to expand social work research, policy, and practice; however, there has been little focus on the role of the built environment. Redressing this gap in the literature, this methodological paper explicates how four multisensory research methods commonly used in architecture—sketch walks, photography, spatial visualization, and mapping—can be used in social work research to create a greater understanding of the complex, interconnected, and multidimensional nature of built environments in relationship to human experience. The methods explored in this paper provide social work researchers with a methodological conduit to explore the relationship between the built environment and vulnerable populations, understand and advocate for spatial justice, and participate knowledgeably in interdisciplinary policy realms involving the built environment and marginalized populations.
ISSN:1473-3250
1741-3117
DOI:10.1177/1473325020924456