Recently zines have had a re-emergence in social science. They have been used to respond collaboratively to disasters, challenge neoliberalisation, share punk skills, and agitate for environmental justice. But their ability to encourage collaboration and work across researcher-participant boundaries is still largely unrecognised. My research uses zinemaking to investigate the role of nonhumans in embodied experiences of dumpster diving in Naarm/Melbourne. I draw on creative and collaborative methods, inviting dumpster divers to join me in zinemaking workshops that reflect on our collective experiences. These workshops reflect on data already collected through interviews and participant observation with participants, generating a practice-led, collaborative early analysis. Using photos, artworks, poems, and foraged dumpster materials, we aim to create a tangible product—a DIY zine—that can be easily shared with our wider communities.
This presentation will reflect on the experience of zinemaking as a collaborative research method. I will share learnings and reflections from my collaborative work with other dumpster divers, and ask how DIY, feminist, creative methods can challenge power in research practices. My goal is to open conversation about the collaborative, unconventional research tools and practices we might need for coexisting in messy worlds.