Sensemaking Through Metaphors: The Role of Imaginative Metaphor Elicitation in Constructing New Understandings

Abstract

Drawing on in-depth interviews with exchange and international students during the COVID-19 pandemic, we elaborate on the role of Imaginative Metaphor Elicitation (IME) to generate knowledge about participants’ experiences while helping them make sense of and cope with a difficult situation. Imaginative metaphors allow participants to explore feelings, assumptions, and behaviors in non-threatening ways and facilitate introspection and self-awareness. We propose that imaginative metaphors help participants make their experience tangible and accessible, identify problematic assumptions, behaviors, as well as resources available to them. Some reported gaining a renewed sense of empowerment. Simultaneously, IME provides an opportunity to collect rich data while co-creating solutions for and with participants. We contribute to calls for embedding social impact in the research design by highlighting the value of IME in gaining deeper access to participants’ experiences while supporting them in taking an active role in their situations.

Reflective Interviewing—Increasing Social Impact through Research

“…We see social impact through the research process not as a replacement to conventional knowledge mobilization/exchange/transfer but as complementary. By engaging participants through our proposed interview principles, researchers can support participants to learn and think about their situations in different ways and identify workable solutions (Nardon & Hari, 2021).…”

“…The types of questions include goal-defining questions such as: “what is your best hope (goal) for the intervention or change?”; scaling-questions such as: “on a scale of 1–10 …” and “what would you need to do to make it a 10?”; and miracle questions beginning with “Imagine a miracle has occurred…” and exception questions that focus on the exceptions when a situation went right instead of wrong, to promote further learning (Mesman et al, 2019, p. 5). Nardon and Hari (2021), in their study of international students coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, dedicated part of their interview to support participants in identifying a goal and action steps to achieve that goal. Each student identified a unique and achievable solution to their problem, such as seeking out specific student services, calling loved ones, and even looking at the problem differently.…”

“…Through the interview process, participants were able to gain insight into their own thinking. Nardon and Hari (2021) used imaginative metaphor elicitation to study international students’ experience of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Through metaphor elicitation, they gained insight into international students’ issues and also supported participants in finding ways to cope with their challenges.…”

Studying Abroad During the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Two Case Studies

“…In line with Nardon and Hari (2021), we understand the disruptions caused by the pandemic as a sense-breaking situation that triggers sensemaking efforts/processes. In such situations, sensemaking allows individuals to interpret why things are different than they expected.…”

Metaphors of mindfulness in pediatric occupational therapy practice

“…Goatly (2011) highlights that in addition to fulfilling conceptual functions, metaphors also fulfill interpersonal, emotional, and communication functions. Nardon and Hari (2021) write that "metaphors are personal, imaginative and creative and allow for a new understanding of experience by highlighting some things and hiding others" (p. 3).…”