Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Photovoice Research within Education and Beyond is the first how-to book dedicated exclusively to describing this increasingly popular research methodology. It is a practical guide useful both for those beginning to use the methodology which is participatory and arts-based and those who have been using it for a long time. By situating the methodology within history and also describing the future of photovoice, this text provides the necessary context that those wishing to understand the methodology need to fully grasp it. Photovoice is an authentic form of research that puts control in the hands of its subjects, giving them power to document their lives and advocate for better policy.
"
Synopsis
Photovoice is a form of participatory action research, which has been gaining use and momentum since its inception in the mid-1990s. Within the enactment of this methodology, research participants are invited to document aspects of their lives through photography and then provide written or oral accounts of the images they create. Designed to situate participants as experts on their lives and their experiences, photovoice is a powerful and visceral approach to policy change efforts.
In this book, the photovoice methodology is conceptualized as being comprised of eight steps: identification, invitation, education, documentation, narration, ideation, presentation, and confirmation. Each of the steps is explained and expanded upon, and insights are drawn from the extant photovoice literature and the author s personal experience. In addition, attention is given to the history of photography and inquiry, theoretical underpinnings and aims of the methodology, ethical considerations, methods and procedures, approaches to data analysis, and photovoice exhibitions. Finally, the author has attended to some aspects of photovoice that have been historically been left unattended, such as: building a conceptual framework for a photovoice study, viewing the photovoice exhibition as a site of inquiry, and thinking through the ways in which ever-evolving photography technologies can and should impact decision-making throughout the photovoice process.
While many texts exist that touch on and/or address photovoice, this is the first book solely dedicated to the entirety of the photovoice methodology from theory to exhibition. Built as a practical guide, readers will find a wealth of information, resources, and advice within this book. Educators, students, and academic researchers will find this an accessible and compassionate text, one that will be a trusted companion while on the photovoice project journey.
"