Photovoice Research Articles

How spatial considerations figure into aspiration formation and agency

As young people near the end of compulsory schooling they are faced with decisions about what future education, training and employment they will pursue. This paper argues that imagined future education, training and career prospects can have largely under-recognised socio-spatial dimensions. This claim disrupts received notions around careers decision-making as distinctly rational, based on academic strengths, skills, or talents. This spatial argument follows from a theoretically-informed analysis of interviews conducted with 15 young people living in England. Sampling was opportunitistic and the design flexible to enable me to explore the use of different methods which could foreground reflections on space and place. Interviews employed visual methods (including photo voice) to prompt young people to talk about their conceptualisations of places and spaces as well as future education, training and career considerations. Focusing in particular on three participants’ reflections, I suggest that through a process of emplacement young people are constructing thirdspaces, a concept proposed by Soja. This process both supports aspiration formation and disrupts imposed structures or labels that might otherwise be deterministic of particular post-16 pathways and subjectivities. For three participants, I consider the ways their conceptions of spaces are implicit responses to cultural expectations, limitations and structures. These three participants are presented as developing what Yosso has called spatially-informed navigational and resistant capitals. Claims are made in the context of an analysis framed by an interpretation of agency in terms of the identity and implied subjectivities. The process by which a young person emplaces themselves in a possible future and the construction of imagined thirdspaces could be untapped cultural resources informing young people’s post-16 decisions and planning which could lead them to build future pathways they themselves value.

Using Their (Photo)Voice: Student Experiences with Nature-Based Physical Activities In and Beyond Physical and Health Education

This study employed a participatory action research methodology, Photovoice, to explore the experiences of adolescent students while learning nature-based physical activity (NBPA) in, and beyond, Physical and Health Education (PHE). Students were asked to take photos both within PHE lessons and outside of school, and write captions to analyze their photos, as part of a unit entitled NBPA in Pictures. Findings indicated that through the NBPA in Pictures unit in PHE, students were able to: connect to both place and others within PHE and outside of school; overcome challenges to being active in nature; describe nature’s impact on their body and being; and, gain the desire to inspire others to enjoy nature.

Curriculum vision as a tool to the rescue of Prof M: a life history study

ABSTRACT Life-curriculum vision is a reasoning plan for or of educating that guides human actions. A vision is a reasoning plan for educating, should a plan be prescribed as strictly guiding human actions; or a plan of educating, should a plan be generated after actions have already taken place. As such, this life-history study explored and interrogated lessons learnt by means of and through Prof M’s life-curriculum vision that helped him to understand his unique identities and to manage his life-objective reality. Prof M’s vision and pragmatic paradigm produced a natural identity framework for this purposive and convenient individual life-history study based on photo voices, semi-structured interviews, and reflective activities as the data-generation methods. Prof M’s narratives were evaluated by his family, relatives, colleagues, and friends. The findings revealed that, through his life-curriculum vision, he had become a pragmatist, naturalist, and agnostic, deploying his experiences of societal, professional, personal, and natural identities. Consequently, this study recommends that individuals reflect on and critique their experiences. Such reflection and critique may allow them to create their own relevant unique tools, enabling them to address both their personal needs (personal identity) and their societal and professional needs.

Motherhood delor: narratives of pregnant and nursing mothers in violent spaces in Ghana

PurposeThe study aims to investigate how pregnant and nursing mothers’ stories have been neglected in writing about gender, security and spaces.Design/methodology/approachThe study chronicles Agogo Traditional Area’s pregnant and nursing mothers’ resistance and survival in this conflicted environment. The author used photo voices in a participatory photography design to give conflict-area women a voice. Interviews and observations supported this. Pregnant and nursing mothers were sampled using the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The data analysis considered narrative analysis, photographic and inductive approaches.FindingsThe findings highlighted how these mothers in vicious settings experienced healthcare access and problems, societal issues including gender dynamics, food insecurity, and emotional and psychological well-being.Originality/valueThe findings in this study expand the socio-cultural narratives of pregnant and nursing mothers in violent spaces.

Objects are not just a thing – (re)negotiating identity through using material objects within the Kurdish diaspora in the UK

Abstract Material belongings have a significant impact on shaping one’s identity, and they play a crucial role as identity markers and valuable instruments for negotiating distinctions among diverse communities, especially for those who experience migration. This research focuses on a specific group of Iraqi Kurdish migrants living in the UK, exploring how they navigate and mould their cultural identity through their cherished possessions. Utilizing a multimodal approach, data collection involved narrative interviews and visual ethnography methods, such as photo voice. The dataset underwent a systematic thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s methodology, leading to an objective and cohesive thematic presentation. The findings underscore the significance of material culture for Iraqi-Kurdish participants in this study. These respondents held deep emotional connections to material objects, linking the landscapes of their past lives to their present experiences in the UK. By cherishing and preserving these possessions, they established a discursive “third space” to express emotions and negotiate their complex “in-between” identities. This term describes a state of dilemma wherein individuals grapple with conflicting senses of identity due to exposure to and affiliation with two distinct cultures. Specifically, it applies to participants who simultaneously value and embrace both their Kurdish culture and identity, as well as their British culture and identity.

Opele Revisited: How Oceanic Blackness Impacts Student Belonging and Success

The Opele Report of 1992 provided a window into the concerns surrounding educational opportunities and quality of education for underrepresented Black students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) (Takara, 1992, p. 4). By providing a comprehensive analysis, the “Opele Report” suggested multiple ways to improve Black student and faculty retention, recruitment, and well-being. Thirty years later, what has changed? How has Black student life and well-being improved, and how supported do they feel? How do they envision their belonging in an oceanic educational space where they are traditionally underrepresented? How might their experiences provide a space to rethink Blackness in oceanic settings? This article revisits the “Opele Report” by providing a window into the contemporary experiences of the 1.8% Black student population on campus by highlighting how they cultivate belonging while navigating their intersectional identities on the University of Hawaʻi at Mānoa campus. I focus on six former and current students affiliated with the Black Student Association as they engage in storytelling surrounding Blackness and belonging on campus and in Hawaiʻi as an expansion of a previous photo voice project and current documentary project. Each student’s response to a series of prompts reveals how Black hypervisibility and invisibility impact their on-campus experiences with belonging while gesturing to how it helps them expand conceptions of Blackness in an oceanic setting. Their dialogue highlights the need to honestly address diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice work on university campuses, including those beyond the continental United States. From experiencing tokenism from colleagues and throughout campus to racism from peers, these students’ experiences highlight the intricacies of finding belonging in the face of anti-Blackness that remains pervasive on campus and statewide.

Realities and ideals: Experiences and needs of pediatric oncology nurses in communication processes with children and their families at the end‐of‐life period: A photovoice qualitative study

AbstractEffective communication in end‐of‐life care for pediatric cancer patients is crucial. Yet, limited research focuses on the communication experiences of pediatric oncology nurses during this period. This study aims to investigate the communication experiences and needs of these nurses with children and their families during the end‐of‐life period. A qualitative study design with photo voice methodology was followed. The research was conducted with 16 pediatric oncology nurses working in the pediatric oncology wards of a university hospital between January and May 2023. Data were collected the “Characteristic Information Form”, “Semi‐Structured Interview Form”, and photovoice methodology. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Most of the nurses are at the undergraduate level, and their working experience in pediatric oncology wards ranges from 4 months to 17 years. Seven main themes emerged: Optimistic Communication‐Interaction, Mindfulness, Active Coping, Behavioral Actions, Death Uncertainty Dilemma, Interpersonal and Environmental Factors, and Discrepancy between Ideals and Reality. The study sheds light on the importance of pediatric oncology nurses' ideals versus realities upstream approach in communicating with end‐of‐life children and their families, empowering pediatric oncology nurses on the journey to ideal end‐of‐life care.

Integrating TPACK in Extensive Listening: Teachers’ Experiences

In March 2020 and the global outbreak of the coronavirus prompted the government to adjust its policies including the closure of educational institutions and swiftly shift to online learning. The aim of the research study was to describe the experiences of three English-language lecturers who taught listening during the Covid-19 Pandemic.It examines the challenges faced, including the shift to distance education, the preparation of teaching materials, and the navigation of unexpected obstacles. This research used collaborative auto-ethnography (CAE) as a qualitative study. This method involves the collaboration between the first, second, and third authors to gain understanding and insight into their shared experience. The data collection process was conducted in early 2021. After we taught extensive listening in the 3rd semester of the academic year 2020-2021. For collecting the data we used the story of our experience in a narrative inquiry, photo voice, and semi-structured interview that was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Thefindings of this study, from the experiences of the three authors as lecturers indicate that the epidemic situation is not a barrier to contributing positively to the world of education. One of the positive effects is that it can increase the creativity of teachers or lecturers in developing teaching materials and using TPACK and also help students evaluate concepts and theories more critically. This study also reveals that, despite experiencing problems such as unstable internet signals in their respective areas, teachers and lecturers are able to adapt to both academic and non-academic environments.

Youth and Down Syndrome: A Canadian Practice of Inclusion, Communication and Creative Arts

This Participant Action Research Project (PAR) was a collaborative & qualitative research project which explored creative and visual arts as a method for social inclusion and communication. Six youth with Down syndrome (DS) from Nova Scotia were participants. This active participation within a creative and visual arts modality explored and share individual experiences from participation in a social inclusion project during the COVID- 19 lockdown period. Youth experienced community song writing, creative dance, photo collage, and photo voice sessions as a mode of expressive communication.

STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE ON HYBRID LEARNING AFTER THE COVID-19 BREAK : A LEARNING REFLECTION THROUGH PHOTOVOICE

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the world of education, including universities, had to find a solution on how education could continue to run well. During the pandemic, lectures are conducted online. However, after the conditions improved, the lectures were shifted to hybrid learning. The aim of this study was as a self-reflection through the experiences and perspectives of EFL students regarding the application of hybrid learning as an adjustment to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses photo voice as a research methodology involving 5 EFL students from 4 different classes. The results showed that, according to participants, hybrid learning was not the right solution for lectures for one semester. Internet disturbances and the unpreparedness of lecturers in implementing hybrid learning are the causes.

Involving YOUNG people with Type 1 Diabetes in reSearch and the development of healTh cARe activities

Abstract Background Typ1 Diabetes (T1D) us a complicated condition that requires constant monitoring and making many decisions. Living with T1D means to check blood sugar levels, inject oneself insulin, and be careful what you eat. In the life of a young adult there are a lot of things going on and youngsters don't want to control themselves all day and night. They want to rebel and feel free. Methods Teenagers living with T1D are actively involved in the research process from data collection to data interpretation. Following the photo voice method the teenagers documented their everyday life with T1D by photographs and recordings (Summer 2021), and discussed their need and resources in group discussions. The visual and audio-data was structured on a muti-touchscreen for which a software was developed during the project. From the inductively formed categories, measures were derived together with the young people and transferred into an action plan, which was presented and discussed with decision-makers. Results During the photo voice process, the teenagers identified 26 categories (i.e. nutrition, coping strategies, autonomy, etc.) that were important for describing their life with diabetes and there categories were categorized into 4 dimension: psycho-social, time, subject and space. The project-team used a systematic action planning process to develop 9 goals for an action plan to improve their life with T1D. They presented their action plan to local political leaders and stakeholders from different setting, such as health care and youth work. The responses during the stakeholder dialog were positively and there was agreement to achieve the defined goals. Conclusions The photo-voice method was helpful in immersing the participants in the lives of young people with type 1 diabetes. Structuring and organizing the visual- and audio-data together was beneficial for the participatory process. Together, an action plan could be developed and discussed with decision makers. Key messages • The photo voive method using digital tools (like smartphones and multitouchscreen) is a route to empower young people and give them a voice. • The participating patients are experts for their bodies and the disease and should be perceived and taken seriously as such.

Youth Perspectives on Menthol Sales Restrictions in Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota.

Although menthol cigarettes are a starter product for youth, menthol was exempted from the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which banned all other characterizing flavors. Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota, implemented menthol tobacco sales restrictions in 2018 to advance health equity for youth, African American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ), and other communities adversely affected by menthol. This evaluation assesses the policy impact on youth access to menthol tobacco, exposure to menthol advertising, and tobacco use. A core group of youth aged 14 to 17 years (n = 30) was recruited from Minneapolis and Duluth to gather data through photo voice and peer interviews 2 months before and after policy implementation. This evaluation shares the results of focus groups with these core youth where they reflected on what they observed in the community and heard from peers. The core youth identified and categorized emergent themes using the evaluation questions. Following the focus groups, the evaluation staff used these preliminary themes and coded remaining transcripts. The core youth had mixed reactions to the impact of policies on access and use because many tobacco users in their age group obtain tobacco informally through peers, family members, and online. They observed decreases in retail advertising of menthol cigarettes, although many felt e-cigarettes and online advertising were more significant issues for their age group. Findings show a need for increased education and more comprehensive policy approaches, including addressing use of flavored e-cigarettes, online tobacco sales, and informal access, making youth access to tobacco more difficult.

Youth Lens: Youth Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impact on Well-being in an Urban Community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly altered the lives of children and youth throughout the world, with significant implications for their long-term health and well-being. Children were largely excluded from the development and implementation of the various pandemic mitigation strategies and policies, yet their lives were significantly affected. This study sought to shed light on children’s perspectives and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the various ways it impacted their health and well-being, along with the resources which allowed them to continue to flourish in the face of extreme hardship. We present a subset of findings regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from the Youth Lens study, with 65 youth (aged 10–18) from urban communities in Cleveland, OH, USA. We utilized a participatory methodology with youth, including the data collection techniques of photo voice, community mapping, group discussion, individual interviews, and journaling. This study highlights important and timely findings related to children’s well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic from the youth’s perspectives and underscores potential ways to address their challenges and concerns.

Photovoice methodology in social work research

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the use of such a visual research method as photovoice. This article aims to characterize photovoice as a research methodology in social work. The study analyzed 30 full-text English-language publications, most of which were written by US researchers. The analysis of publications was based on the following criteria: (1) the general purpose of the photo voice as a methodology of research in social work and its philosophy; (2) stages and procedures for the use of photovoice, the role of researchers and other research participants; (3) examples of the use of photo voice in foreign social work; (4) the advantages and limitations of photovoice identified by researchers who have used this methodology in theirresearch. Photovoice is a participatory and reflective method of research in social work. Its main tasks include: to encourage research participants to express their own opinions; to form critical consciousness through group discussion; achieve policy change. Photovoice is based on: feminist theory; critical pedagogy; participatory approach to documentary photography. It uses transformational or emancipatory frameworks of analysis that focus on social change. The use of photovoice involves compliance with a number of successive stages, some of which may be repeated: the preparatory stage; introductory group session; work of research participants on photo collection; group discussion; preparation of the report; discussion of results; organization of an exhibition of works; conveying information to those on whom decision-making depends. Photovoice is used to study the needs of various vulnerable groups, especially those who are discriminated and whose voice is often ignored. This reflective method can also be useful in studying various aspects of social work practice.

포토보이스를 통해 본 비대면 시대 청년의 불안 경험

This study aims to reflect on various anxieties experienced by young people amid the prolonged non-face-to-face situation caused by COVID-19. For data collection, Photovoice, one of the participatory research methods, was used. Photovoice is a method in which the participant becomes the agent and takes pictures related to the research topic and actively interpret them. During the process, research participants become actively aware of the situation they are in, and can reflect and explore alternatives to the situation through photographs. This study selected a total of 12 young people as participants and held photo voice workshops and in-depth interviews. The analysis of the results of photovoice activities classified data into 5 categories, 17 topics, and 79 units. The result of the study found young people suffering from total anxiety such as the disappearance of exploring period to prepare for the future, economic crisis and gap between rich and poor, loss of emotional support groups and lack of relationships, shrinking job market, and dissatisfaction with universities. Despite the deepening psychological and emotional crisis and anxiety, young people re-planned their lives and prepared for new challenges. Along with the importance of adapting to digital technology, they were also aware of the negative impact of technology development. Therefore, this study is meaningful in that it analyzed their anxious lives in various aspects in the absence of previous studies on the anxiety experiences of young people in their daily lives after COVID-19, and that it confirmed that Korean society has the need to actively cope with youth anxiety.

The Need for Sensory-Friendly "Zones": Learning From Youth on the Autism Spectrum, Their Families, and Autistic Mentors Using a Participatory Approach.

IntroductionDifferences in sensory processing were linked to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before its inclusion as a core characteristic in the revised DSM-V. Yet, research focused on sensory processing and meaningful participation of children and youth with ASD remains relatively scarce. Although refinement of the International Classification of Functioning and Disability (ICF) relies on first-person accounts, longitudinal studies that foreground sensory experiences and its impact on involvement in a life situation from first-person perspectives are largely missing from this body of research.ObjectivesIn this sub-study, we drew from a longitudinal participatory research project consisting of two separately funded studies with children and youth with ASD and their families between 2014 and 2021. The participatory project used photovoice (PV) methods to identify the primary concerns related to socio-spatial exclusion (PV-1) and the action steps needed to redress them (PV-2). The objective of this sub-study was to understand what really mattered to children with autism, their parents, autistic youth and an adult mentor to consider how their experiential knowledge could deepen understanding of meaningful participation.Materials and MethodsWe used an overarching narrative phenomenological and aesthetic theoretical framework to focus data analysis on the bodily sensing experiences related to significant moments or events, followed by an inductive thematic analysis of what mattered about those moments.ResultsThe topical areas of concern that emerged from analyses were: (1) the relationship between sensory experiences and mental health (motion madness); (2) the indivisibility or layering of sensory and social experiences (squishing and squeezing); (3) the impact when “tricks” to stay involved are categorically misunderstood (When you don’t respond in the correct way), and (4) how care and consideration of others can lead to innovative solutions for inclusion (I can’t be the only one). Listening to the bodily-sensing experiences of children with ASD, autistic youth and adults, and their families in their own terms has implications for remapping the ICF and envisioning sensory curb-cuts to access, initiate and sustain occupational participation for all.

Visual anthropology: Changing roles in fieldwork

Visual Anthropology, the study of visual systems, is a specialized study of culture involving photographs and films. The main objective of the study is to present the chronological development and changing trends in visual anthropology. Visual anthropology has a long history started with the photography of various cultural aspects by some professional photographers, and then there was an addition of supplementary use of photographs and films in ethnographic description. Later, reflexive, participatory and dialogic movements were introduced to more depth and objective studies, which finally led to the applied interventions with the use of photo voice technique in community-based participatory research to address social, environmental and health issues and problems. The paper provides an in-depth overview of enhancement in visual techniques and methods used for communication of anthropological observations and insights applicable for human welfare.

Assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on a children's hospital: The point of view of patients and families

The coronavirus pandemic has affected our health, social behavior, and quality of life. In addition to the deaths and morbidity, the crisis also affects all spheres in society. The objective of this study was to assess the perception of hospital patients and families regarding the pandemic. This is a descriptive study conducted May-July 2020 in the Sant Joan de Déu children’s hospital, Barcelona, Spain. We developed a mix-method approach. It included online semi-structured interviews and photo voice. Seventeen patients’ representatives were interviewed. In their opinion, the pandemic has affected the health of patients and families at the physical and psychological areas. The pandemic also made them to adapt to the new technologies. Participants expressed the impact the pandemic had at the social level and in the sustainability of patients’ associations. Members of the Infant and Youth Councils expressed their feelings about the pandemic through pictures. It is necessary to carry out social research that helps to interpret the impact that the pandemic is having on patients, families and society. Experience Framework This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework (https://www.theberylinstitute.org/ExperienceFramework). Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens.

All Hands on Deck! School-Community Partnerships as a Nexus for Resource Mobilisation in South African Rural Schools

Despite the fact that South Africa attained freedom nearly three decades ago, rural schools still struggle to acquire resources that will deliver quality education. International and local research confirms the critical role of school-community partnerships in advancing quality education and maximising learning outcomes. However, a paucity of research explores school-community partnerships as a nexus for resource mobilisation in South African rural schools. This qualitative study sought to explore and identify school-community partnerships through which schools within rural contexts can mobilise resources, as supported by boundary-spanning leadership and resource mobilisation theories. Data were collected, using free-attitude interviews and transect walk with photo voice, from 15 participants in three schools in a KwaZulu-Natal rural municipality. The school stakeholders included three school principals, three teachers’ school governing bodies (SGBs), three parents’ SGBs, one trade union, two nonprofit organisations, two corporate social responsibility managers, and one local municipality manager. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data. Seven main school-community partnerships findings emerged from the data, which were used to make recommendations to address and improve the quality of education in the rural schools. We argue that all hands are required on deck from all school stakeholders, so as to enable the school-community partnerships aimed at resource mobilisation to work.

Assessment of Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle on Campus Environment in a University Setting as Perceived by Students Using the Innovative Photo Voice Method, a Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle (HEAL) Study

Assessment of Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle on Campus Environment in a University Setting as Perceived by Students Using the Innovative Photo Voice Method, a Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyle (HEAL) Study