Photovoice

Abstract

Photovoice is a qualitative method of inquiry whereby individuals can document their lived experiences, particularly individuals whose voices are not typically heard in regard to promoting social change and policy development. We used photovoice to elicit major themes regarding community members' perceptions of the long-term impact on their quality of life as a deadly technological disaster hit a small, rural town in South Carolina. Overall, participants photographed more negative images than positive. Overarching themes included residential and business vacancies, economic decline, the need for clean-up and modernization, attention to wellness or rehabilitation, and concerns for safety. Emergency response agencies should consider the themes elicited from these community residents to help identify where to focus disaster response efforts both in the immediate aftermath and during the long-term recovery period of technological disasters, particularly in underserved, rural communities.

Visualizing Vulnerability for Inclusive Community Resilience: Photovoice Evidence from the Philippines

“…In the context of informal settlements, photovoice can be applied effectively in inclusive planning: it identifies essential issues about disadvantaged communities, thus addressing unmet needs and priorities and helping planners develop more inclusive and responsive solutions (Harris 2017). To explore the disaster context, sociologists, psychologists, and public health scholars use photovoice to discover place-based knowledge and to enhance awareness, participation, and capacity of disadvantaged populations (Annang et al 2016; Madsen and O’Mullan 2016; Peek et al 2016).…”

“…To bring local perspectives into resilience research, social scientists have applied alternative participatory approaches, such as photovoice, in various fields for a more inclusive exploration (Annang et al 2016; Gorman-Murray et al 2017; Peek et al 2016). A participatory action research (PAR) method, photovoice enables community members to serve as photographers and co-researchers: they take photographs of their lived experiences, create place-based narratives, develop action strategies, and possibly connect with policymakers to enact social changes (Bukowski and Buetow 2011; Wang 2006).…”

“It's never going to end”: Experiences of residents recovering in damaged dwellings after superstorm sandy

“…Living in a damaged dwelling increases the likelihood of experiencing mental health-related issues (Graham et al 2019). Neighborhoods and businesses may remain vacant or sparsely populated for the long term, creating greater social isolation for returnees and thus lowering the quality of life relative to before the event (Annang et al 2016; Inoue et al 2014). One study on the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan found that when compared to individuals in temporary shelters, those recovering in significantly damaged homes reported higher levels of dissatisfaction with their quality of life, experienced losses of their pre-disaster social networks, and suffered higher instances of sleep-related issues (Matsumoto et al 2015).…”

Using Photovoice to Explore Quality of Life Factors of Adults With Crouzon Syndrome

“…A PAR approach using Photovoice was most fitting to address the research questions. PAR has been widely used to improve numerous health issues including nurse confidence in addressing problems of chronic pain in older adults (Baker & Wang, 2006), perspectives of loss and recovery from mental illness (Mizock, Russinova, & Shani, 2014)), experiences of Korean young adult survivors of childhood cancer (Yi, Kim, & An, 2016), the quality of life of a community after disaster (Annang et al, 2016), the exploration of mothers’ experiences of new infant settling in Vietnam and pregnant embodiment in Australia (Murray & Nash, 2017). Through Photovoice, participants have greater input throughout the research process and more in-depth insights than what would have been solicited from a study that limited participant contributions to research design, data collection, and data analysis processes.…”