Collage An Arts-Based Method for Analysis, Representation, and Social Justice

This paper discusses collage as a method of inquiry in a participatory action research project, which examined the meaning of healing with Aboriginal women and the meaning of leisure in their experiences of healing. The discussion highlights how simultaneous analysis, synthesis, and representation led to a rhizomatic process and multivocal understandings. Given that the project was also founded upon Indigenous epistemologies, this artistic means supported Indigenous ways of knowing by enabling emotional and spiritual connections throughout the process. Metaphor, symbolism, and interpretive communication are used to move beyond binary thought patterns and language. As such, collage has the potential to communicate a poignant and evocative message, thereby contributing to creating a strong platform for social justice.