Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas with Photovoice and Participatory Action Research

Abstract

Central to this chapter are the concepts of research and procedural ethics. Because Photovoice research focusses so closely on creating egalitarian, participatory processes and the implications of participant generated knowledge, rarely is enough time spent considering the potential ethical challenges inherent in participatory action research. Thinking about ethics early when using Photovoice is beneficial as the process can positively contribute to the design, procedures and outcomes of a project. Yet, the relationship between ethics, feminist participatory research and radical social work is a contested space meriting further discussion. The chapter begins with a brief history of research ethics and discusses the concept of feminist relational ethics. This discussion is extended to consider the potential for distress researcher and participant, the raising of false hopes, the risks of speaking for others and matters of (self)representation.