Researching Playfully? Assessing the Applicability of LEGO^® Serious Play^® for Researching Vulnerable Groups

Abstract

Although in recent years plenty of work was published on LEGO® Serious Play®, there are only a manageable number of publications about its applicability in a research context. Undoubtedly, LEGO® Serious Play® can be a methodological enrichment particularly for participatory research with people in vulnerable conditions. However, its utilization in research should always be well reflected and adapted to the specific research context. Based on experiences gained in the H2020 project “MIMY – EMpowerment through liquid integration of Migrant Youth in vulnerable conditions”, the following article depicts the potentials and limitations of LEGO® Serious Play® and critically assesses its value for research purposes.

Keywords

• Lego^® Serious Play^®
• participation in research
• creative exploration methods
• vulnerable groups