Using multimodal methods to explore groups with multifaceted roles: The case of prison officers

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which creative, multimodal methods are well-suited to research with groups holding multifaceted roles within complex systems. The potential benefits of using imaginative methods in qualitative inquiry will be discussed in relation to the participants, organisation and researcher. The first author’s ongoing doctoral project is discussed, which employs a creative, multimodal method combining vlogs and interviews for data collection to explore prison officers’ (POs) emotional experiences of their complex work roles. The PO role is multifaceted and requires the balancing of competing demands, such as discipline and rehabilitation, within the complex prison environment. Given the intricacies of the PO role and prison system, the question of why multimodal methods are particularly well-suited to research with this group shall be explored. The article will begin with an overview of the complexities of the PO experience, and then consider how multimodal methods might address these multiplicities.