Photovoice
Encyclopedia
Photovoice is a method mostly used in the field of community development, public health, and education
which combines photography
with grassroots
social action. Participants are asked to represent their community or point of view by taking photographs, discussing them together, developing narratives to go with their photos, and conducting outreach or other action. It is often used among marginalized
people, and is intended to give insight into how they conceptualize their circumstances and their hopes for the future. As a form of community consultation, photovoice attempts to bring the perspectives of those "who lead lives that are different from those traditionally in control of the means for imaging the world" into the policy-making process. It is also a response to issues raised over the authorship of representation of communities.
, and Mary Ann Burris, research associate of the School of Oriental and African Studies
(SOAS) at the University of London
. In 1992, Wang and Burris created "Photo Novella," what is now known as Photovoice, as a way to enable rural women of Yunnan Province, China, to influence the policies and programs that affected them. They report being strongly influenced by the efforts of Nina Wallerstein and Edward Bernstein who had adapted the ideas of Paulo Freire
's Pedagogy of the Oppressed
to health promotion and education. It has since been used among homeless adults in Ann Arbor, Michigan
and among community health workers and teachers in rural South Africa
and by Dr. Claudia Mitchell et al., and with brain injury survivors by Dr. Laura S. Lorenz. of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management
at Brandeis University
.
The concept owes a debt to Paulo Freire
, to critical consciousness
, feminist theory
and empowerment
.
since 2008 and to a lesser extent Michael Bitz's Comic Book Project
.
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
which combines photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
with grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
social action. Participants are asked to represent their community or point of view by taking photographs, discussing them together, developing narratives to go with their photos, and conducting outreach or other action. It is often used among marginalized
Marginalization
In sociology, marginalisation , or marginalization , is the social process of becoming or being made marginal or relegated to the fringe of society e.g.; "the marginalization of the underclass", "marginalisation of intellect", etc.-Individual:Marginalization at the individual level results in an...
people, and is intended to give insight into how they conceptualize their circumstances and their hopes for the future. As a form of community consultation, photovoice attempts to bring the perspectives of those "who lead lives that are different from those traditionally in control of the means for imaging the world" into the policy-making process. It is also a response to issues raised over the authorship of representation of communities.
Background
Photovoice was developed by Caroline C. Wang of the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and Mary Ann Burris, research associate of the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(SOAS) at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. In 1992, Wang and Burris created "Photo Novella," what is now known as Photovoice, as a way to enable rural women of Yunnan Province, China, to influence the policies and programs that affected them. They report being strongly influenced by the efforts of Nina Wallerstein and Edward Bernstein who had adapted the ideas of Paulo Freire
Paulo Freire
Paulo Reglus Neves Freire was a Brazilian educator and influential theorist of critical pedagogy.-Biography:...
's Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Pedagogy of the Oppressed is the most widely known of educator Paulo Freire's works. It proposes a pedagogy with a new relationship between teacher, student, and society...
to health promotion and education. It has since been used among homeless adults in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and among community health workers and teachers in rural South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and by Dr. Claudia Mitchell et al., and with brain injury survivors by Dr. Laura S. Lorenz. of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Heller School for Social Policy and Management
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management is one of the four graduate schools of Brandeis University.Founded in 1959 as the University's first professional school, Heller is located on the Brandeis University main campus along with the Brandeis University Graduate School of Arts and...
at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
.
The concept owes a debt to Paulo Freire
Paulo Freire
Paulo Reglus Neves Freire was a Brazilian educator and influential theorist of critical pedagogy.-Biography:...
, to critical consciousness
Critical consciousness
Critical consciousness, conscientization, or conscientização , is a popular education and social concept developed by Brazilian pedagogue and educational theorist Paulo Freire, grounded in Marxist critical theory...
, feminist theory
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
and empowerment
Empowerment
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, racial, educational, gender or economic strength of individuals and communities...
.
Variants
Photovoice is considered a subtype of "participatory visual methods," also known as Picturevoice, which includes techniques such as photo-elicitation and digital storytelling that allow research participants to create visuals that capture their individual perspectives as part of the research process. Two other forms of Picturevoice include Paintvoice, stemming from the work of Michael Yonas; and Comicvoice, which has been pioneered by John Baird's Create a Comic ProjectCreate a Comic Project
The Create a Comic Project is a youth literacy program and webcomic created by John Baird. The program uses comics, many taken from the Internet, to encourage children to write their own narratives. The program began in November 2006 at the main branch of the New Haven Free Public Library as an...
since 2008 and to a lesser extent Michael Bitz's Comic Book Project
Comic Book Project
The Comic Book Project is a national comic-based afterschool program. It was founded by Michael Bitz, Ed.D., while at Teachers College at Columbia University. It is currently maintained by the Center for Educational Pathways.-Publications:...
.