The body language of place: A new method for mapping intergenerational “geographies of embodiment” in place-health research

Publication date: Available online 21 January 2019Source: Social Science & MedicineAuthor(s): Ryan J. Petteway, Mahasin Mujahid, Amani Nuru-Jeter, Rachel Morello-FroschAbstractResearch on place and health has grown rapidly in recent years, including examining the physiological embodiment of place-based exposures. While this research continues to improve understanding of why place matters, there is particular need for work capable of revealing: 1) which places matter, i.e. spatially-specific notions of “place”); 2) how these places matter—processes and mechanisms of the physiological embodiment of place; and 3) potential intergenerational and life stage differences in place-embodiment experiences/perceptions. The research presented here seeks to make contributions in each of these areas through developing the “geographies of embodiment” concept. Drawing from a multi-method intergenerational community-based participatory research project examining place and health, the research presented here specifically highlights X-Ray Mapping as a new methodology to elucidate subjective notions of place-embodiment within place-health research. Participants were recruited as parent-child dyads and trained in four participatory research methods, including X-Ray Mapping. Participants used X-Ray Mapping and a multimedia-enabled web-based mapping platform to map their “geographies of embodiment”. X-Ray Mapping results revealed that 49% of youth place-embodiment locations were spati...
Source: Social Science and Medicine - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research