Dreaming fairness and re-imagining equality and diversity through participative aesthetic inquiry

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a participative action research project into how arts-based inquiry can revitalise equality and diversity organisational practices. We demonstrate that the arts-based methodologies introduced enabled participants to explore the meanings they brought to equality and diversity work, by creating a liminal space for learning. We illustrate our findings through an exploration of how participants engaged with the inquiry, the learning about equality and diversity that took place in the workshops and the challenges and opportunities of translating this into change practice in the workplace. The article's originality lies in its analysis of poetic writings, dreams and visual artefacts created in the context of participative inquiry. Engaging with tacit knowledge extended understanding of the contribution that arts-based, aesthetic inquiry can bring to organisational practice, and more specifically towards restoring the transformative potential of organisational practices to promote equality and diversity.

Understanding Sustainability Through the Lens of Ecocentric Radical-Reflexivity: Implications for Management Education

“…in context, and is based on a degree of suspicion and/or doubt about our self and organizational practices. Doubt can lead to generative learning (Hawkins and Edwards 2015) and may be carefully facilitated in the classroom in various ways: arts-based methods such as visual inquiry and poetic writing (Gaya and Phillips 2016;Page et al 2014); reflexive writing (Bissett and Saunders 2015) including how sociomateriality can be understood as involved and represented in their writing (e.g. Muhr and Rehn 2015); and by engaging in dialogue around threshold concepts that encourage reflexivity and can lead to acting in more moral and responsible ways (Hibbert and Cunliffe 2015).…”

Visual Imagination, Reflexivity and the Power of Poetry: Inquiring into Work–life Balance

“…The 'corps exquis' form is another poetic form particularly suited to collaborative writing and shared exploration of an organisational issue or problem (see Grisoni, 2008, p. 118). The aim is to facilitate multiple voices, readings and understandings of what is produced and be surprised by unanticipated connections (Grisoni, 2009(Grisoni, , 2012Page, Grisoni, & Turner, 2014). Working with groups of up to 8 participants, I tend to provide a loose structure for each line such as: first line -consider what the issue is like (encouraging imagery, simile or metaphor); next line -free associate to the key word given; next linehow does it feel (encouraging emotion); next line -ask a question; next lines -free associate (promotes more imagery), last line -offer an alternative or action (promotes reflexivity).…”

Positive emotion in workplace impact

“…The tablecloth technique, where participants are asked to record their responses on a large paper tablecloth, was used (De Chesnay, 2015). This allows for the capture of more holistic and presentational ways of knowing and enables participants to tap in to unconscious insights and escape the linearity (Reason, 2001;Broussine, 2008;Page et al, 2014). Participants were then asked to:…”

“…The researcher then used Broussine's (2008) "multifaceted" method to systematically explore and qualitatively analyse picture data utilising the research questions as sub headings. Two of the main qualities used in the analysis of drawings are in part from the metaphorical representation and multifaceted components which offer insights into unconscious thought and expression (Broussine, 2008;Page et al, 2014). Data analysis involved a prolonged and intimate period with the data, iteratively cross-referencing the data in relation to the research questions (Creswell, 2007).…”