Understanding Culture Through Pictures and a Thousand Words

Abstract

As the adage goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Yet, anthropologists have not typically sought study-participant drawings. Using a protocol in which a request for a drawing was embedded, this study captures the internal dynamics of three successful university-based teams. Our questions followed a specific Describe–Draw–Explain sequence. All interviewees offered some novel element in their drawings (Draw step) beyond what they conveyed in their verbal descriptions (Describe step), while 85 percent of them again offered additional detail in the Explain step. The data also revealed stark and surprising cultural contrasts across teams, including one that was understood best as a network that could be activated upon demand. Gathering drawings is a fast yet valid and reliable method when the prescribed sequence of questions is followed. Another virtue of this approach is that the interviews can be conducted virtually, essential during the COVID-19 era.