Landscapes of participation:Findings & lessons from community mapping

Eddie Cowling and Ellie BrodieNCVO/VSSN Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference

Overview

• The Pathways through Participation project• What is participatory mapping?• Mapping in the Pathways project• Findings• Reflections on the method

How and why do people get

involved and stay involved in different forms of

participation over the

course of their lives?

Formative Years Middle Years Later Years

•Focused primarily on the individual experience•What connections and links exist between different forms of participation?

•Broad range of public, social and individual participatory activities•Exploring individual’s stories in three contrasting communities in England

The Pathways project...

What is participatory mapping?

• Draws on valuable local knowledge • Recognises local people are capable research

collaborators • Encourages diverse involvement • Fosters empowerment

Mapping in context

A few examples...• Community mapping• Mapping as a social

research tool• PGIS• Multimedia mapping• Planning for Real

Participatory mapping in three case study communities:

The aims

• Identify places & spaces for participation

• Understand the local context

• Explore perceptions and understandings

• Appealing introduction to the project

• Relationship building

Participatory mapping in three case study communities

The process- 2 x mapping workshops in each case study area

- 8-12 participants in each - Groups asked to draw a map of the local

area, and to populate it with the sites and places where participation occurs

- Reflection period following the map creation process

So what did we find?

The maps as representations of physical and social geography

Accessibility and inclusion of sites of participation

Multi-purpose and single use sites

Threats to participatory sites

Reflections on the method...

• Visual method

• Interactivity and collaborative working

• Recording and analysis

• Part of the wider research processwww.pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk