The power of the poem”

Using poetic inquiry to explore trans-identities in Namibia

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12917151
AutoresHeidi Van Rooyen (0000-0002-6502-6098, Human Sciences Research Council, autor correspondente), Zaynab Essack (0000-0002-8867-3415, University of KwaZulu-Natal), Alude Mahali (0000-0002-9686-8239, University of KwaZulu-Natal), Candice Groenewald (0000-0003-2731-1370, Human Sciences Research Council), Abigail Solomons (Human Sciences Research Council)
Ano2020
Volume13
Fascículo3
Páginas315-328
Data de publicação2020-08-07
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoArts & Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1753-3015 • E-ISSN: 1753-3023
EditoraTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17533015.2020.1805634
PMID32762622
OpenAlexW3047844802
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas22

Researchers exploring sensitive topics need to identify appropriate methodologies to encourage open expression. We used poetic inquiry to explore the lived realities of transwomen in Namibia, a socially marginalised group globally. We conducted two focus group discussions with 15 transwomen and developed found poems. The poems captured issues of identity and belonging and illustrated the transwomen's journeys of self-acceptance, experiences of violence, rejection, agency and relationships. In order to enhance participant voice and enrich the poems, they were shared with some transwomen in a feedback and reflection session. This article unpacks this collaborative poetics approach. We share selected poems, explore their impact on participants, and discuss how this engagement with the poetry allowed for deeper discussion of participants' experiences. The collaboration around the poems allowed researchers and participants to find new ways to explore and address issues of discrimination and marginalization, and to actively engage larger and more diverse audiences

Aesthetics · Agency (philosophy · Art · Expression (computer science · Focus group · Identity (music · Literature · Poetics · Poetry · Power (physics · Session (web analytics · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Children's Rights and Participation · Computer Science · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Studies · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Social Psychology