Champions for social change: Photovoice ethics in practice and 'false hopes' for policy and social change

• Published in: Global public health Vol. 11; no. 5-6; pp. 799 - 811
• Main Author: Johnston, Gloria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.05.2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Community based action research; Community participation; community-based participatory research; Community-Based Participatory Research - ethics; Community-Based Participatory Research - methods; Ethical standards; Ethics; Expectations; Health care policy; Health education; Health Promotion - ethics; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Implementation; Medical research; Narration; Participatory research; Photography; Photovoice; policy and social change; Policy making; Political Activism; Program Evaluation; Public Policy - trends; Reforms; Researcher-Subject Relations - ethics; Researcher-Subject Relations - psychology; Social action; Social activism; Social Change; Social movement theory; Social sciences; Values; Photovoice; ethics; policy and social change; community-based participatory research
• ISSN: 1744-1692; 1744-1706; 1744-1706
• DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2016.1170176

Photovoice methodology is growing in popularity in the health, education and social sciences as a research tool based on the core values of community-based participatory research. Most photovoice projects state a claim to the third goal of photovoice: to reach policy-makers or effect policy change. This paper examines the concerns of raising false hopes or unrealistic expectations amongst the participants of photovoice projects as they are positioned to be the champions for social change in their communities. The impetus for social change seems to lie in the hands of those most affected by the issue. This drive behind collective social action forms, what could be termed, a micro-social movement or comparative interest group. Looking to the potential use of social movement theory and resource mobilisation concepts, this paper poses a series of unanswered questions about the ethics of photovoice projects. The ethical concern centres on the focus of policy change as a key initiative; yet, most projects remain vague about the implementation and outcomes of this focus.