Photovoice Ethics: Perspectives from Flint Photovoice

Abstract

Photovoice is a participatory health promotion strategy in which people use cameras to document their health and work realities. As participants engage in a group process of critical reflection, they may advocate for change in their communities by using the power of their images and stories to communicate with policy makers. In public health initiatives from China to California, community people have used photovoice to carry out participatory needs assessment, conduct participatory evaluation, and reach policy makers to improve community health. This article begins to address ethical issues raised by the use of photovoice: the potential for invasion of privacy and how that may be prevented; issues in recruitment, representation, participation, and advocacy; and specific methodological techniques that should be used to minimize participants' risks and to maximize benefits. The authors describe lessons learned from the large-scale Flint Photovoice involving youth, adults, and policy makers.

‘Welcome to My Life!’ Photovoice: Needs Assessment of, and by, Persons with Physical Disabilities in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

“…It was explained that all activities in the project should be done in a fair, respectful and ethical way. Ethical issues like the safety of participants, as well as respect and privacy, and the fact that carrying a camera implied authority and responsibility, were highlighted (19). The last part of the meeting involved basic lessons in photography.…”

“…Participants were given instructions to photograph people, places or things that could convey daily life experiences from their perspectives in the community, including a focus on either problems or strengths. It was stressed that their pictures should represent the difficulties and challenges they personally encountered in daily life, and also be representative of the barriers in society for persons with disabilities as a whole (14,19).…”

“…Nevertheless, as people are carrying and using a valuable object, they might always face some danger (19). On the one hand, freedom to take photographs provided the necessary space to really document the reality of their lives, but on the other hand it could cause some potential danger.…”

Imagens e concepções de adolescentes moradores de zonas rurais sobre saúde

“…Pesquisa participativa baseada na comunidade que utilizou o método fotovoz para coleta dos dados 5,6,7 . A pesquisa participativa baseada na comunidade integra abordagem qualitativa, pesquisa-ação e pesquisa participante no cenário cultural de vida dos informantes 8 .…”

“…A pesquisa participativa baseada na comunidade integra abordagem qualitativa, pesquisa-ação e pesquisa participante no cenário cultural de vida dos informantes 8 . O fotovoz é um recurso metodológico por meio do qual as pessoas utilizam câmeras fotográficas para documentar suas realidades de vida e saúde 5,6,7 .…”