I have decided that in the midst of all of this I should talk everyonce in awhile about the method we are using!
Photovoice, or photonovella, is a method of working with people in communities that are typically under-represented or excluded in our society. It is a way of documenting community strengths, and initiating dialogue about what is significant. Quite simply, it is a way of giving voice by using photography.
Developed in the 1980's it is based in the principles of Paolo Freire, feminist research methods including community-based and participatory research, documentary photography, and public health practices.
Photovoice is used by people of all ages, globally, to represent their experiences of their lives. It is a way of placing the means of cultural representation in the hands of those who are most often denied the tools of cultural production. It has been used by women in China to communicate to policy makers, by the homeless and insecurely housed in Toronto to document the social determinants of health, by young offenders in the UK, and newcomers to Canada in St. James Town to explore what neighbourhood means in terms of health. These diverse groups of people have something in common – their capacity to perceive what has escaped broader social attention.
And as time goes on - more on this! I promise... but until then, just read the stories.
