Photo-taking prompt

Take 2-3 original photographs that represent a global citizenship issue, strength, or tension that is directly relevant to your work, teaching, or community action.

When taking photos, you may consider the following questions:

• Local-Global Connections: Where do you see global challenges (e.g., environmental sustainability, human rights, cultural diversity, social inequality, migration) showing up in your immediate surroundings or work environment?
• Action & Resistance: What does global citizenship in action look like in your classroom, organization, or neighborhood?
• Strengths & Assets: What community strengths or local solutions are actively addressing a global concern?
• Tensions & Barriers: What systemic barriers or daily struggles do you or your community face when trying to foster global justice?

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Ethical Considerations:

Please obtain verbal consent before photographing identifiable people (especially children or vulnerable individuals), and avoid images that could cause harm, embarrassment, or expose someone's location, identity, or circumstances without their permission.

When in doubt, prioritize dignity over the "perfect shot". You can also photograph objects, settings, or symbols that represent the issue without capturing identifiable people.

Photovoice:

What is it, why do it, & how to do it?

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What is photovoice?

• “Photovoice is a qualitative research methodology that empowers diverse populations to share their experiences and perspectives through photography.” (EBSCO Research Starters, 2021)
• “Photovoice is a participatory research methodology that uses photography and narrative to prioritize the lived experiences and perspectives of patients or community members.” (Nykiforuk, 2021, in Canadian Medical Association Journal)

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EcoVietnam Community Library, Tra Vinh Vietnam, GEx MD24. Date & timestamp on image is incorrect.

What is photovoice?

• “Photovoice is a participatory visual qualitative research method that combines photography and narrative storytelling to capture individuals’ lived experiences, particularly those from marginalized or underserved communities. It enables participants to document their environments, reflect on their challenges, and advocate for policy change through visual and emotional appeal.” (John Hopkins Centre for Health & Equity, 2026)

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What is photovoice?

• Developed by Wang and Burris (1997) A qualitative method using participant-taken photographs
• Aims to document lived experiences and promote social change
• Distinct from photo-novella (photonovel) –the use of photos to tell stories –by its orientation to social change through talking (or ‘voice-ing’) back to power

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Why do photovoice?

• Empowerment: Gives voice to marginalised communities
• Experiential Knowledge: Honors lived experience over traditional data
• Accessibility: Inclusive of non-literate participants

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• Social Change: Sparks dialogue and collective action
• Policy Influence: Brings community concerns to decision-makers

Adapted from Milne and Muir (2020). Cite as: Milne, E.J. and Muir, R., 2020. Photovoice: A critical introduction. In The SAGE handbook of visual research methods (2nd ed., pp. 282-296). SAGE Publications

Theories that underpin Photovoice

Freire’s Critical Pedagogy: Dialogue and co-learning

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Feminist Theory: Rejects subject/object dichotomy, values agency of the historically under-represented social groups

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Community Documentary Photography: Disrupts objectification, promotes self-representation

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Photovoice is not a panacea: limits

Limits

• Social change is complex & non-linear
• Power dynamics may persist
• Photos can exclude or perpetuate stereotypes
• Participation may be resisted or limited
• Interpretation by audiences may vary

Adapted from Milne and Muir (2020). Cite as: Milne, E.J. and Muir, R., 2020. Photovoice: A critical introduction. In The SAGE handbook of visual research methods (2nd ed., pp. 282-296). SAGE Publications

How to do photovoice?

image created using Microsoft Bing AI

How to do photovoice?

• Identify themes: collaborative discussions to identify insights and themes
• Take photos: Participants take photos of community strengths, concerns, and meaningful spaces, peoples & objects
• Make sense of photos: Researchers facilitate reflection and analysis with participants, co-creation of knowledge
• Share voices: Findings shared to tell stories, advocate, campaign, build assets, etc.

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How to do photovoice?

While Wang and Burris (1997) argue ideas of “advocacy” and “social change” anchors the definition of photovoice, this is not always possible. Implementing photovoice in my own teaching within context of overseas field course, occupying the position of “foreign visitor”, means

• It must be framed as a politically neutral academic exercise
• Priority lies in student learning as opposed to driving advocacy and change, alongside honest acknowledgment of constraints
• Opportunity for reimagining Photovoice’s orientation to social change from the lens of community-building which passes as a politically neutral / non-interventionist agenda.

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Key takeaways

• Photovoice is a powerful tool for participatory research & storytelling
• It blends theory, advocacy, and creativity
• Success depends on ethical facilitation and community engagement
• Critical reflection is essential throughout the process

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Photo-taking Time

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Take 2-3 photos that represent your pain-points as an educator/staff at NUSC.

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:)

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[you have 10 min]

SHOW+ED

FRAMEWORK

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DIGITAL GALLERY

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Upload your group’s 3-5 photos onto

Padlet

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Digital Gallery

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https://tinyurl.com/gced3Aphotogallery

Photovoice Deck

https://tinyurl.com/gced3A

Digital Gallery

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https://tinyurl.com/gced3Aphotogallery