Mapping from below: eliciting situated experiences of crime, fear, and risk through qualitative mapping

• In Event: Qualitative research methods into dialogue

Abstract

Quantitative methods have long been central to the study of crime and place, drawing on locational analysis and spatial science. However, the dominant mapping paradigm remains a top-down practice that often overlooks lived experiences (Kindynis, 2014). This presentation explores the potential of a bottom-up mapping approach grounded in qualitative methods. Bottom-up mapping focuses on everyday lives and experiences and how they unfold in relation to space and place. It’s a non-representational mapping practice that can include social, cultural, and historical understandings of places (de Vet, 2023; Schwarze, 2023). Such an approach can uncover the mechanisms underlying experiences of crime, fear, and risk in relation to time, space, and place. The presentation draws on data from an ongoing research project on feelings of insecurity among undocumented people in the Brussels Capital Region—combining participant observations, in-depth interviews, and bottom-up mappings. By integrating these methods, the study examines the spatial characteristics and patterns of feelings of (in)security. Findings suggest that bottom-up mapping effectively captures people’s emotional-affective bonds to places and spaces, leading to more textured and nuanced insights into situated experiences of crime, fear, and risk. In conclusion, the discussion reflects on the strengths, limitations, and challenges of mapping from below.

Author

• Floris Liekens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel