Discuss Participatory Mapping and Explain How It Might Be Used

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The Answer is Community-based participatory research, which has had broad appeal in community psychology, public health, and related disciplines, aims to involve research participants and other stakeholders in the research process and ensure that they have a voice in the knowledge that is created. In geography, the trend toward more inclusive methods of research has led to an increased emphasis in involving local communities and individuals in a process called participatory mapping. This method asks participants to identify the physical boundaries of their own neighborhoods and communities, as well as the important resources and the activities in which they engage.
Some of the earliest work in this area was conducted by Kevin Lynch, an urban planner who was interested in how people organize spatial information about their environments. He asked respondents in three different cities to draw sketch maps showing significant features of their cities and discuss the importance of including these elements on the maps. More recently, participatory mapping has been used to examine community integration among formerly homeless adults, map stakeholder perceptions of environmental problems, and engage community members in HIV prevention research.
In addition to being empowering and engaging, having people draw their own maps, as opposed to relying on census boundaries or pre-drawn maps, allows program evaluators to understand what types of resources and activities are most important to community members' functioning and well-being. Participatory mapping can also be useful in challenging assumptions and testing theories of what people appreciate in their communities and how they contribute to them. Additionally, when individuals are able to define their communities based on their own unique experiences and expertise, their perceptions of belonging to the community, as well as their intrinsic motivation to actively shape change efforts within their communities, are increased.

Discuss Participatory Mapping and Explain How It Might Be Used

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