Title

An Exploration of Social Justice Intent in Photovoice Research Studies from 2008 to 2013

Publication Date

3-6-2014

Document Type

Article

Abstract

In an age where digital images are omnipresent, the use of participant photography in qualitative research has become accessible and commonplace. Yet, scant attention is paid to the social justice impact of photovoice amongst studies that have used this innovative method as a way to promote social justice. There is a need to review this method to understand its contributions and possibilities. This literature review of photovoice research studies (i) explores whether authors implicitly or explicitly related the methodologies to their aims of promoting social justice (methodology-method fit) and (ii) outlines the social justice research impact of photovoice findings using the framework of social justice awareness, amelioration and transformation. PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases were searched from the years 2008-13 using the following keywords: photovoice; photonovella; photovoice and social justice; and photovoice and participatory action research. Of the 30 research studies reviewed, only thirteen identified an underlying methodology guiding the photovoice method. The social justice impacts emphasized were more related to social justice awareness (n = 30) than amelioration (n = 11) or transformation (n = 3). Future researchers using photovoice as a way to promote social justice are encouraged to assess and plan for the social justice impact desired.

Publication Title

Nursing Inquiry

Disciplinary Repository

PubMed Central

DOI

10.1111/nin.12064

Publisher Policy

pre-print, post-print with 12-month embargo, no publisher's pdf

Open Access Status

OA Disciplinary Repository

Source fulltext URL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4138277/

Link to Full Text

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