Toward the democratization of knowledge: Using photovoice, social biography, and the "five whys" in YPAR with children.

Abstract

Objectives: We assessed if using a biographical method, social biography, alongside photovoice, and the Five Whys could facilitate critical dialogue in a youth participatory action research (YPAR) context. Method: In a YPAR program, we added social biography to photovoice and the Five Whys during the problem definition phase. We coded ethnographic fieldnotes to examine the quality of critical discourse. Participants were six 10-11 year old Latinx children, some from mixed-status families. Results: Social biography enlivened critical dialogue when children defined the problem for their project: the accountability of la migra, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Conclusions: Social biography is a valuable tool for democratizing knowledge production with children through a liberatory framework. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).