Photovoice as a Social Process of Critical Consciousness

Abstract

The reluctance of some communities to participate in research and researchers' lack of penetration into the community are major stumbling blocks to successful community-based approaches. The authors'purpose is to determine how a photovoice project in a lower income, African American, urban community was able to generate a social process that resulted in active grassroots participation in a community-campus partnership. Through this partnership initiative, the authors asked neighborhood residents to take photographs of things in the community of which they were proud and the things they wanted to change, and to tell the story of why these were important. The authors used strategies from visual anthropology to analyze the 54 photographs, stories, and dialogue produced. Their analysis identified three distinct levels of cognitive-emotional interpretations that moved participants out of helplessness toward authentic engagement and participation. The authors discuss implications and lessons learned for community-based participatory research.

Traces identity and imaginary teens

“…Los elementos clave de las narraciones se registran en la primera tabla, seguido por las impresiones clave del análisis iconográfico de las fotografías en la segunda tabla. Utilizamos un enfoque iconográfico de la antropología visual para analizar las fotografías (Carlson et al, 2006;Van Leeuwen y Jewitt, 2001). Este enfoque se centra sistemáticamente en el análisis de menor a mayor nivel de abstracción (reconocimiento, características simbólicas y nivel más abstracto de análisis iconográfico).…”

Shining light inside the tunnel: using photovoice as a strategy to define the needs for health promotion among families of low socioeconomic status

“…This made it difficult to actually nudge low-SES families into active participation in programmes aimed at improving their health status (Van den Berg-Slagter, 2006). The developers’ lack of penetration into these communities has been a major barrier to the development and implementation of successful community-based health promotion programmes (Carlson, Engebretson, & Chamberlain, 2006). …”

“…The involvement of low-SES families should be supported from the very beginning of the whole programme planning process, to create a better understanding of the issues they perceive (Carlson et al, 2006; Kahraman, 2010; Scheerder, Van der Broucke, & Saan, 2003). Achieving this requires striking a balance between top-down processes initiated by the interventionists and bottom-up processes initiated by the practitioners who work with low-SES families, so as to ensure a tailored programme development and implementation process (Van Kann, Jansen, De Vries, De Vries, & Kremers, 2015).…”

“…In this study, photovoice enables low SES-families to express the strengths and weaknesses in their community, making it easier for professionals such as health promoters or policymakers to get an in-depth idea of the views of the families themselves (Merzel & D’Afflitti, 2003; Strack, Magill, & McDonagh, 2004; Wang & Burris, 1997). In the end, participating in a photovoice study can be an excellent instrument to build capacity for joining in community-based programmes that support low-SES populations in overcoming their socially disadvantaged situation (Carlson et al, 2006; Wang & Burris, 1997). …”

Facilitating Self-Reflection: The Integration of Photovoice in Graduate Social Work Education

“…As a research method, photovoice generates an opportunity for participants to explore their own internal processes, as well as small group processes (Carlson, Engebretson, & Chamberlain, 2006). This seemed ideal for a social work classroom: incorporating the potential for critical reflection, developing self-awareness and the integration of creative processes, particularly arts-based processes for students who may express themselves well visually and seek various outlets for expression (Walton, 2012).…”