Reflection
3 Beach experiences
Childhood experience at a Cambodian beach
This drawing was produced by the researcher
and her nephew and niece (two international university students).
There was a discussion about oversea
students’ lives in Australia before our collaborative drawing. When the topic of
conversation came to favorite activities in Melbourne, they mentioned that they
liked to go to the beach in Melbourne. Then, they started to draw what they
have experienced at the beach. After that, their drawing reminded them of their
childhood experiences at the beach in Cambodia. They continued to draw their
childhood experiences at the beach.
Reflections:
Perception:
The collaborative drawing enabled them to share their
experiences and perceptions of their overseas life in Australia. The picture of
a Melbourne beach expresses a peaceful and relaxed social world. People on the
beach are relaxing, surfing, and walking. The collaborative drawing
conceptualized their overseas life as being free and independent. The coffee
bar is the only food service near the beach.
Comparing to their childhood experience at
a Cambodian beach, the Cambodian experience was enjoyable and children could engage
in many water activities with other children on the beach. The activities
indicate children’s engagement with play objects. Also, there was more
marketing at the beach, and the seafood was very nice. This shows two different
lifestyles in Melbourne and Cambodia.
Communication:
The drawings show the diverse cultures of the two countries,
and cultural differences are shown through the shared thinking and drawing. How
the international students valued their life overseas has been visualized. The
drawings acquired knowledge of diversity.
Invention:
They drew their childhood beach experience and
compared it to their current beach life. Now, they are concerned about security
in Cambodia. Their parents don't allow them to play freely at the beach now,
and they have to stay in a hotel every time they go to the beach. Their parents
are concerned about safety on the beach as they are richer than before. The
researcher’s niece mentioned, “We are not allowed to go to the beach as it is
not safe. We are rich now.” This is the reason why they preferred to draw their
childhood beach experience. The drawing shows their ideal beach in Cambodia.
They felt that they did not have a lot of freedom in their home country
compared to Australia.
Action:
The drawing crystallized the shared thinking and
supported a deep understanding of world differences and lifestyle differences
among people in different cultural contexts.
The collaborative drawing, as an innovative
research method, allows the researcher access to the participants’ perceptions
and knowledge of the social world in a richer way. The picture helps the
researcher and participants to be aware of the world and the transformation of knowledge
past to present. The drawing process can be considered as a mirror of
international students’ personal identities and supporting self-reflection. The
drawing captures the complexity and layers of meaning on one page. Also, the expressive
form of drawing offers the researcher access to visual representations of
emotions, perceptions, and even abstract ideas.
