Visual mapping of identity : negotiating ethnic identity

Purpose: This paper aims to offer a novel participatory visual research method, the mapping of identity (MOI) protocol that embraces the complex nature of contemporary consumers’ lived reality. Design/methodology/approach: The MOI protocol is a two-phase methodology. The first phase includes collage creation, based on a taxonomy of attachments, followed by an elicitation interview structured around the participant’s collage. In phase two, the categories elicited in phase one are synthesised into key themes in collaboration between the researcher and the participant. Findings: MOI methodology provides an effective platform for participants to bring together disjointed memories, fragments and thoughts. Two individual cases are presented that seem similar on the surface; however, when deconstructing these narratives, their lived experiences and the effect that these narratives have on the construction of the self are very different. Treating participants as co-researchers and letting the choices they make in their collage creation lead the interview empowers the participant and enables the researcher to better understand their complex identity articulations. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes a visual methodology capable of exploring and celebrating the complexities of self-identity. Practical implications: MOI is a useful tool for facilitating self-exploration in liquid markets. Marketing experts should provide materials that are not too confining and facilitate consumers in expressing multiple voices. Social implications: The participatory nature of MOI methodology allows for the emergence of stories from those that might otherwise go unheard, helping to understand unfamiliar and sometimes unrecognised identities. Originality/value: Marketing literature recognises the complex nature of contemporary lived reality; however, some of the intricate aspects of this reality have not been dealt with in all their complexity. A reason for this gap is the paucity of suitable research methods. The MOI protocol presented in this paper addresses this, providing an effective visual tool to explore the complex web of contemporary consumer life.