Photovoice Methods in Social Work - 9780826198365

Photovoice is an established form of participatory action research that uses photography and narrative to empower communities and include the voices of marginalized individuals in the research process. It is recognized as a useful tool to illuminate important factors in impoverished environments that are frequently overlooked. Written for social work students, researchers, and professionals, this is the first volume to focus specifically on photovoice and its applications. In this comprehensive, "how-to" guide, the authors describe in detail how to use photovoice in the contexts of youth development, aging, homelessness, independent living among people with disabilities, environmental design and community development, health care, and professional education. Plentiful case studies highlight the use of photovoice in many situations and describe ways to overcome the challenges social workers may face in enacting its methods within their organizations and communities. The book illustrates how social workers can use photovoice to collaborate with marginalized individuals in documenting the poverty and difficulties of their lives and barriers to their well-being. A companion website for readers features interactive examples of photovoice projects and hyperlinks connecting the eBook and website.

• Describes how photovoice can be used in a variety of settings to document often overlooked factors in impoverished environments
• Uses plentiful case studies to illustrate photovoice in action and describe ways to overcome challenges to using it
• Incorporates the writings of social workers, counselors, psychologists, nurses, architects, educators, and gerontologists
• Demonstrates how photovoice can assist social workers and other helping professionals in closing the divide between research and practice
• Addresses potential for collaboration between social workers and marginalized individuals in documenting difficult circumstances