“Photovoice as a Tool For Participatory Evaluation: The Community’s View of Process

and Impact”

Caroline Wang, Yuan Yan Ling, and Feng Ming Ling

Presented by: Madison Messer

TOPIC: photovoice as a tool for participatory evaluation

FOCUS: the community’s view of process & impact (rural China)

METHOD: “photovoice complemented multiple methods such as household surveys, nominal group process, and focus groups to balance the goals of research, action, and evaluation” (47)

TARGET: women (and other groups) in Yunnan as well as those people interested in photovoice

GOALS: understand the effects of photovoice, how it functions, and show the results of an application in rural China

What is photovoice?

“Blends a grassroots approach to photography and social action” (Wang et al. 47)

Photographic technique

In comparison to a documentary

The relationship between subject & photographer

People reaching policy makers

*Created by Caroline Wang (“photo novella”)

Goals of photovoice

1. to record and reflect their lives from their own point of view

2. to increase their collective knowledge about community issues

3. to inform policy makers and the broader society about those health and community issues that are of the greatest concern and pride so as to bring about change

(Wang et al 1996, 47)

YWRHDP

Yunnan Women’s Reproductive Health and Development Program

Enabled women to give evidence on policy effects in their community (Yunnan)

Location of field experiment in this article

Yunnan, China

Located in far southwest of China

Spans 394,000 square kilometers

Population: 45.7 million

Capital: Kunming

Rich in natural resources

Largest plant life diversity in China

“It entrusts cameras not to health specialists, policymakers, or professionals, but to people with least access to those who make decisions affecting their lives. Photovoice is the process by which people identify, represent, and enhance their community through a specific photographic approach”. (Wang et al 1996, 47)

Photovoice Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICTVdcvCUoU&feature=related

Contemporary Application

Think of a current condition, in either the United States or elsewhere in the world, where this technique could be beneficial?

Write down what this image would look like, what clip of music you would incorporate, and be ready to explain why.

Participatory analysis

1. selecting (choosing photos to best represent strengths & weaknesses of policy and programmes)

2. contextualizing (telling stories about the meaning of the photographs)

3. codifying (identifying the issues or themes that come from data)

Key Quotes

“They used this photograph to involve their staff and supervisors to think about way to improve the situation. They also showed this photograph to the funding agency to describe their assessment of what was happening within the project site and what needed to change”. (Wang et al 1996, 48)

In regards to the picture chosen from YWRHDP

Other aspects involved in photovoice

Ethical implications (picture of health care worker)

Document before-after processes

Enables evaluators to improve upon project activities

Advantages @ 5 levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy

It draws in community members to become more active in the feedback/ evaluation process

Key Quotes cont.

“The photograph enabled project evaluations to provide her with constructive suggestions about how she could improve her teaching methods. But since her identity was clearly visible in the picture, inadvertently embarrass the health worker or cause her to lose face”. (Wang et al 1996, 48)

KQ/DQ

“How does photovoice as a method for participatory evaluation contribute to a community’s ability to reflect its own culture” (Wang et al 1996, 48)?

PRO vs. CON

CON- blurry, underexposed, and overexposed images common. Technical problems and breakage problems with cameras.

PRO- save time on otherwise written reports. Expose problems quicker than normal. Help avoid similar mistakes among decision makers in the future.

Discussion Question

If we were to perform a photovoice here at Rollins, where would this picture take place?

What would this picture capture?

How would it then benefit our college as a whole?