Body Mapping and Story Circles in Sexual Health Research With Youth of Color: Methodological Insights and Study Findings From Adolescent X, an Art-Based Research Project
Abstract
We describe the implementation and select findings from Adolescent X, an arts-based research project that used story circles and body mapping to elucidate how young people understand the relationship between their social contexts and their sexual and reproductive health, with a particular focus on youth’s understandings of gender, sexuality, and the body as sites of possibility and power. A community-based sample of N = 24 youth of color was recruited from the South and West Sides of Chicago to participate in 3-day workshops. In addition to story circles and body mapping, data were collected via brief surveys with N = 24 youth, debriefing groups (n = 10 youth), and focus groups (n = 14 youth). Study data consisted of (1) body map visuals, that is, legends, mini-, and full-body maps; (2) written body map narratives; and (3) audio recordings of the story circles, body mapping activities, debriefing groups, and focus groups. All audio recordings were transcribed, deidentified, and uploaded in Dedoose for qualitative thematic analysis. Data analysis was conducted by a team of independent coders. Across all sources of data, three major themes were identified: (1) strong feelings of unsafety related to how young people’s bodies are gendered, sexualized, and racialized in different social settings; (2) the extent to which adults and institutions foster youth safety; and (3) sources of young people’s coping and resilience. Implications for public health research, practice, and policy are discussed.
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Body mapping has been used as a therapeutic tool, an educational and advocacy strategy, and a means of coping in diverse populations.
“Body mapping, an art-based method, has been used as a therapeutic tool, an educational and advocacy strategy, and a means of coping in diverse populations [17–22].”
From Recruitment, retention and recouperation: lessons learned from a study aimed at assessing burnout mitigation in physician learners (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Brodyn, A., Lee, S. Y., Futrell, E., Bennett, I., Bouris, A., Jagoda, P., & Gilliam, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brodyn, Adriana
- Venue
- Health Promotion Practice
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-09-23
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 594-608
- ISSN
- 1524-8399 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6372
- OpenAlex
- W3199873878
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4
- FWCI
- 3.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Promotion Practice (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ford Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Participatory Visual Research Methods
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Keywords
- body mapping, story circles, youth of color, adolescent sexual health, reproductive health, gender, sexuality, body image, racialization, sexualization, youth safety, coping and resilience, arts-based research, community-based research, Chicago
- MeSH terms
- Sexual Health, Adolescent, Adult, Black or African American, Body Image, Chicago, Humans, Research, Research Design, Sexual Behavior, Social Environment, Focus Groups, Qualitative Research, Black People, Reproductive Health
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