ABSTRACT
The Photovoice methodology has dramatically gained popularity over the past decade. As articulated by public health scholars Carolyn Wang, Mary Ann Burris, and Xiang Yue Ping, Photovoice is a kind of participatory action research (PAR) method in which a group of community members uses cameras to take photos on a theme (Wang, Burris, & Ping, 1996). Photos are then selected by the photographers themselves and used to elicit comments in group discussions. Photovoice is aimed not only at raising awareness in a community but also at communicating with policymakers and representatives of institutions who are often inaccessible for members of disadvantaged groups. Throughout the Photovoice research process, participants discuss their ethical relationship with their photographic subjects, as well as changes the photographers and subjects would like to see in their lives, and strategies for collective action to address problems depicted in the photos.
