Researching Children’s Multiple Family Relations: Social Network Maps and Life-Lines as Methods

Visual methods are reported to have certain advantages when conducting interviews on sensitive topics, such as intimate spaces, home-related ethical issues, and vulnerable families. In this article, we concentrate on two visual methods: social network maps and life-lines. In our research project on children’s well-being and emotional security in multiple family relations, we collected data by interviewing children and asking them to complete social network maps and life-lines. We discuss the suitability of these two visual methods for describing children’s close relationships with their family members and significant others. Combining these two methods during an interview process with child…