‘Tea and Thread: Our Happiness!’ Creative Methods and ‘Researching-With’ Women from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds

Abstract

Creative methods offer caring ways to conduct research with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. We reflect on the contributions creative methods, migration studies, and feminist care ethics bring to more caring qualitative research. Guided by feminist work on care and ethics, we expand how creative methods can be employed. Drawing on a range of research traditions, we further develop the concept of ‘researching-with’. We propose researching-with as a methodological approach that takes seriously relationships and responsibilities in research practices. This approach advocates for conducting research collaboratively and in solidarity with research communities. The paper reflects on researching-with creative methods in a research collaboration involving women from migrant and refugee backgrounds, staff and volunteers, a PhD student and a supervisor involving a series of creative workshops at Zara's House in Newcastle, Australia. We expand on some of the methodological learnings of researching-with, including the possibilities and challenges of this methodological approach.