DESCRIPTION OF A NON-FORMAL LEARNING METHOD

PHOTOVOICE & STREET + SCHOOL SURVEY

(and the results of their application in Pucioasa)

I. What IS PhotoVoice?

PHOTOS and STORIES, this is the essence of the method PhotoVoice. Everybody knows what

“Photo” means and “voice” means to “speak” through images.

PHOTOVOICE is a method of public participation through which illustrative photos accompanied

by texts are supporting a process of influencing public decision. PhotoVoice is a method with a major

impact on the community because it uses both the image and the story told by its author. Young people

participating in this activity acquire the ability to use photography as a way of communication with the

entire community. This is a method used to highlight the existing problems in an area. This allows those

who normally are subjects to become creators of their photos and present difficulties, hopes, joys, fears of

life in the community.

Initially, PhotoVoice was a method of sending a strong message by presenting “living photos”

performed by members of disadvantaged groups, which have not the skills to lead their problems on the

public agenda and which have no the ability to mobilize themselves for pursuing a common interest. But

this method is very flexible and it can be adapted to different situations (community needs assessment,

mapping the issues, evaluation of public programs, etc.), different groups’ interests and different areas

(environment, health, education etc.).

PhotoVoice’s objectives: 1. to enable people to identify and reflect on the strengths of their communities and on their

problems;

2. to promote the exchange of information and critical dialogue on issues concerning personal life or

the wider community through group discussions;

3. to reach public decision makers (government, elected experts, etc.). It makes voices to be heard.

More than a simple participatory shooting method, PhotoVoice has the capacity to empower people

and communities. By creating a space for discussion within the community, it is created an opportunity for

people to be able to share their own needs, desires and expectations for the future, be able to reflect on the

problems they face and the possible solutions. And then they get the tools through which they can make

their needs and problems to be heard, seen and acknowledged.

PhotoVoice tries to bring positive social changes in communities through instruments that

participants can support and improve the quality of their life. The images used and their associated words

are displayed locally, nationally and internationally through various media: photography exhibition,

sending postcards media, online exhibitions.

II. What IS NOT PhotoVoice?

First of all, PhotoVoice IS NOT a common photo exhibition! If you have a group of people who take

pictures and then writes a few lines next to them, this is just a photo exhibition. The essence of this

method consists in the process itself: identifying problems, establishing the causes of these problems,

discussing and finding solutions, acquiring power and then creating a strong visual message.

PhotoVoice is not a method that addresses to professional photographers. A professional

photographer or a group of photographers who want to illustrate with images a theme don’t need a

PhotoVoice process. It is enough to create their own pictures (with or without explanatory text) and

KA2 - Strategic Partnership Projects between Schools

“EUROPEAN CLASSROOM” Favourite recipes and typical dishes

organize an exhibition (individual or collective). PhotoVoice's essence is exploring subject by those

directly affected, not by a foreign person. Although the pictures’ quality is something desirable, the

facilitator(s) have to teach community members to take good pictures, not to appeal to a professional

photographer.

Photovoice is a method that requires that the group of participants to meet and discuss the photos.

Although personal photos and their stories are the same, from the discussions generated around them is

born the opportunity to reflect on the subject and create a joint message of that community. Therefore, a

PhotoVoice process can’t be run on Internet, following the principle: “Send us a photo accompanied by its

story and we will make a collection that we present to the public!” Even less: the selection of pictures can

not be based on popularity - how many “votes” or “likes” they gathered. If you want such an activity, this

is called “Photo contest” and it may be accompanied by prizes.

We encourage the use of “PhotoVoice” term with discernment, so that the method and its content

and to keep the real power!

(Film LEN 2013)

III. The steps of a PhotoVoice process

1. Getting prepared: Who we work with? Why? (What are the objectives we want to achieve?)

Ideally, a PhotoVoice process’ objectives have to be agreed with the participants because it shows

that this process is theirs own. And “PhotoVoice” that means: giving them their chance to say what they

want!

So, you must have answers to these questions:

a. What is the subject of PhotoVoice process? (A general topic)

b. Who are the participants? (It is essential that participants to have an interest in the proposed topic,

because otherwise they will not have ideas for photos and they will not be interested in the discussion.)

c. Which are the needed resources? (Cameras, facilitators, assistants, other organizational costs)

d. What is the timetable for the meetings? (How many meetings will be held, with which frequency,

where?)

e. What are the objectives of the PhotoVoice? (Which public authority do you want to convince to

do something? Which decision do you want to be adopted? Who you want to educate / convince and what

subject you chose?)

From these established objectives result the topics for taking pictures.

It is the best if these things are agreed with all PhotoVoice participants.

2. Running photo sessions

a. Training beneficiaries to take pictures. Training should:

• explain the process

• clarify possibly to reformulate theme

• clarify issues relating to law and ethics of photography

• include a technical camera guide (if needed)

• explain how the discussions will run in workshops, facilitate discussions about photos

• establish a specific format of the story, the voice that will accompany the picture (as noted clues

about the photo: time, character, mood etc.)

b*. Alternatively, photo sessions and discussion sessions:

• meetings in order to discuss the photos

• taking pictures (usually, participants will go home with cameras and taking pictures between

meetings)

• meetings for the final selection of photographs and texts that will accompany the completion of

photos

Possible questions to facilitate the discussion about pictures in workshops:

• Who is in the picture? What is the captured image? Where and when it was taken?

• Why have you photographed it?

• What did you feel while taking this picture?

• What would you like to convey through this photo?

• What would you like to transmit to the authorities (mayor, city council, county council, prefecture,

etc.) in this photo?

• If we expose this photo in public, what do you want to understand the viewer?

The answers of the photo’s author are marked by facilitator / assistant. This is a first draft of the final

text to accompany the photo.

c. Other activities developed along the way. It could be a visit to a museum, an outdoor activity

when the whole group takes photos in the same place, a mini-course on effective communication and other

ideas / opportunities that arise in the workshops.

3. Presenting the results of PhotoVoice

The presentation can be done within a photo exhibition, a public event, through printed postcards,

albums, calendars, posted into a web page etc. At this stage, the organizers will establish a “Plan of

attack”. The organizers must be sure that the effects of the event are those expected, even if the forms of

sharing the results can be different: an exhibition, a campaign of sending postcards, calendars, an email

campaign etc.

IV. Duration

There is not an universally valid duration of the process. Depending on the topic, the extent of the

group of beneficiaries, the resources – the organizers of PhotoVoice process may take a week or three

months (in a project with inhabitants of villages in China it was a one year-long process!). On the one

hand, the “photographers” must have enough available time for taking pictures, and on the other hand,

PhotoVoice organizers must allocate the necessary time for obtaining the photos, for registration and

training for discussion workshops.

The recommendation is to propose a minimum of 10 meetings during 3 months, especially in groups

that do not know each-other, to allow building relationships of trust in the group.

V. Costs

PhotoVoice is a relatively expensive method of participation. Apart from the usual cost of a process

of participation (trained people, meeting space and protocol, press conferences, folders and other

paperwork etc.) we need cameras and funds to enable electronically implementation and paper photos. A

photo exhibition, if will be organized, may ultimately increase the costs.

Apart from this, the need of the time and human resources should not be underestimated!

VI. The “hardcore” and the “light” versions

1. The “hardcore” version: As we said before, PhotoVoice is a method that shows its true power when it is used with the

marginalized persons / groups, people at risk, people you don’t meet usually and which will not come to a

seminar or to a public debate in order to present their point of view.

When you use the method with such persons, the results can be spectacular in many ways: the

participants will begin to gain self-confidence, they will reflect on their situation, they will be able to

define more clearly their situation (problems, benefits, the most important things they want) to generate

ideas for projects, to reveal less known aspects of their lives, to give meanings to daily misunderstood or

unsupported aspects.

This is the version we called a “hardcore” because it is very demanding in terms of resources: often

the organizers have to assure available cameras, the facilitators have to be trained to handle sensitive

issues (emotional or otherwise), you should allocate more time for the process (adaptation, discussions,

other organizational aspects).

2. The “light” version: PhotoVoice method can be used very well with groups of people who are not in such difficult

situations. It can be used, for example, by pupils, students or other groups of young people (as NGO’s

voluntaries, or skaters, or cyclists) - categories that often already have their camera or mobile devices like

a smartphone (and then the process is less expensive) and who already have a working group exercise.

This is the version that we call “light” because it is less demanding for the organizer(s). It is as good

as the “hardcore” version! But unlike the “hardcore” version (that gives a voice to those who do not have

it), this second version adds voice and visibility of a group that has other tools to make itself heeded.

The “light” version does not mean that the principles of PhotoVoice process can be treated lightly! It

still needs time for discussion and focusing the message!

For example, we organized such a process in order to know if the citizens of our little community eat

healthy and then to make a warning about this aspect.

(Aici, filmul nostru)

PHOTOVOICE + STREET and SCHOOL SURVEY

First of all, we love to take pictures and we have civic spirit! We have also digital skills; we have

modern devices (smartphones, cameras, tablets) and we really love the opportunity to use them!

That’s why our teachers proposed us to try this non-formal method of education, called

“PhotoVoice” and then they informed us about it. We have a few informational workshops, face to face

and via Facebook (because we have a Facebook closed group and we communicate often this way). Our

teachers indicated us some links when we read more about this method.

Then we fixed the main theme / subject: “Our city inhabitants eat healthy?” This subject is related

with our Erasmus+ subproject, “Favorite recipes and typical dishes”. We saw around us many life

situations in which people eat unhealthy foods and we decided to take photos during one week. Also we

chose to expose our pictures by organizing a public exhibition. We obtain an important aid from the City

Hall of Pucioasa, because we were allowed to make this exhibition in street, right in the front of the City

Hall.

After 2 meetings in which we organized the small groups and we shared / assumed the

responsibilities, we started the photo sessions. It was not so difficult, because you can see everywhere

people buying and eating unhealthy food / drinking unhealthy beverages: at school, in the park, on the

street, even at home. The fast food shop has always clients and some of them are really loyal customers.

In deed, we noticed also positive aspects and we immortalized them.

So, we took pictures and then we shared with the other mates. Together with our teachers, we

decided which of them are the best: they fits to the theme, they are clearly and they are significant for the

consequences of an unhealthy feed. According to the ethic of the method, we blurred the faces of those

persons who appear in our pics. So that we opted for the best 22 pictures.

Because we knew we will not have enough space for a large exhibition (because we used a flipchart

as a support), we decided to make collages using our pictures.

The next step was about the right messages we have to apply to those collages. The messages have

to be clear, but not so explicit, because the aim is to invite the visitors of our exhibition to think and to

extract their own learning. In patches we were funny and even a little bit ironic (eg. “Education?

Vitamins? Healthy lifestyle? Crisps = gaps!”; „Recipe with a guaranteed effect for obesity and...

obtuseness: semi-prepared food + Cola + telephone + computer; Optional - a remote control!”).

Once the messages have been established, we thought how to organize the public exhibition and

when to do it. The only free time was in the morning, before the classes (because we start classes at 13h).

There have to be 2 exhibitions: one with unhealthy food / aspects and one with healthy food. The visitors

have to take a look and then to choose which of those aspects fits with their lifestyle. They have to mark it

by pasting a little Smiley face on the appropriate flipchart.

BUT during the last workshop meeting raised the idea to combine the PhotoVoice method with a

street survey, in order to find more about the eating habits of our city inhabitants. Said and done!

We fixed together a number of 6 questions, an echelon of 50 citizens and 1 hour for the survey, we

share the roles and… let’s go into the street!

It was in the morning (10:30-11:30) and we noticed that this interval was significant especially for

the age category of more than 45 years old, exactly there were many retired people. Even if we fixed

initially an echelon of 50 people, we could question 60 people:

Age category

< 15 years old 16-25 years old 26-45years old > 45 years old

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

5 4 3 5 3 9 14 17

In generally, they eat healthy, drink especially teas and they prefer to cook at home, even deserts.

We concluded that this echelon was not representative for all age categories, so we decided to

continue this survey in the school.

So that we questioned a number of 63 pupils of 11-15 years old, in the school: 30 boys and 33 girls.

These are the centralized answers (street survey and school survey):

1. How often do you eat in one day?

Possible answers

Replies

Street survey

(60)

Replies

School survey

(63)

Total

Once / day 4 31 35

Twice / day 13 15 28

Three times / day 36 9 45

Four times / day 4 4 8

Five-six times / day 3 4 7

2. Do you prefer tea or coffee?

Possible answers

Replies

Street survey

(60)

Replies

School survey

(63)

Total

Tea 20 46 66

Coffee 40 17 57

3. Do you prefer still or sparkling water?

Possible answers

Replies

Street survey

(60)

Replies

School survey

(63)

Total

Still water 45 27 72

Sparkling water 15 36 51

4. Do you prefer home cooked or pre-cooked food?

Possible answers

Replies

Street survey

(60)

Replies

School survey

(63)

Total

Home cooked meal 57 32 89

Pre-cooked food 3 31 34

5. How many times do you cook at home in a week?

Possible answers

Replies

Street survey

(60)

Replies

School survey

(63)

Total

2-3 times / week 7 34 41

4-6 times / week 23 16 39

Daily 30 13 43

6. Do you prefer:

Possible answers Replies Replies Total

Street survey

(60)

School survey

(63)

Homemade desserts 38 14 52

Bought deserts 4 45 49

Fruits 18 4 22

Unfortunately we were right!

Comparing the results of street survey with the results of school survey, we observed that young

people are not eating healthy, their lifestyle is not the right one: they prefer fast food, juices and

carbonated beverages, bought desserts / packaged cookies and even coffee (at 14 years old!). Despite the

fact that the retired persons don’t have such a good teeth, the elder / old people eat fruits (18 from 60),

while pupils prefer bought desserts (45 of 63; and fruits: just 4 of 63).

This way we could fix the main subject of the future flyers, posters, leaflets, in order to make pupils

aware about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. We added also some curiosities about fruits

and vegetables (“Did you know…?”) and we chose representatives images.

The next step was to create, print and multiply those warning materials. Then we distributed them in

the school, to our mates. We noticed that our mates have had a good reaction: they looked and read the

posters, they read the leaflets and then they started to talk about this subject.

As following, our whole team proposed:

- for students and teachers: to organize extracurricular activities aiming the benefits of healthy foods

(especially fruits and vegetables);

- for teachers: to approach the “Healthy food” subject in the next classes of Counseling, stressing the

positive aspects of healthy lifestyle.

We consider that all in all our project activity was successful and we will continue to be active in our

community.

PROJECT’S ORGANIZATION

I. THINKING, PROPOSING AND CHOOSING THE QUESTIONS

FOR STREET AND SCHOOL SURVEY

SHARING TASKS

II. REALIZING POSTERS FOR STREET AND SCHOOL SURVEY

They are based on the taken pictures of the real life

III. REALIZED POSTERS

IV. PHOTOVOICE AND STREET SURVEY

V. CENTRALIZING THE RESULTS OF STREET SURVEY

VI. REALIZING POSTERS AND FLYERS IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A HEALTHY FEEDING

NOTE: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This article reflects the views

only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.