Towards a visual social psychology of identity and representation

Abstract

This comprehensive volume provides an unprecedented illustration of the potential for visual methods in psychology. Each chapter explores the set of theoretical, methodological, as well as ethical and analytical issues that shape the ways in which visual qualitative research is conducted in psychology. Using a variety of forms of visual data, including photography, documentary film-making, drawing, internet media, model making, walking and map drawing, video recording and collages, each author endeavors to broaden the scope for understanding experience and subjectivity, using visual qualitative methods. The contributors to this volume work within a variety of traditions to inform the interpretations they form of their data, including narrative psychology, personal construct theory, discursive psychology and conversation analysis, phenomenology and psychoanalysis. Each addresses how a particular visual approach has contributed to existing social and psychological theory in their topic area, as well as clearly outlining how they carried out their specific research project. The contributors draw on qualitative sources of verbal data, such as spoken interview, ethnographic notes, diaries, focus group discussions and naturalistic conversation alongside their use of visual material...