The power of/in Photovoice

ABSTRACT

Photovoice, which falls under the methodological umbrella of participatory action research (PAR), is a method of inquiry used to visually document and honor the knowledge(s), voices, and experiences of community members about particular issues affecting their lives. By privileging these voices, photovoice seeks to investigate, disrupt, and ultimately improve structures and practices that often fail to fulfill the needs of diverse populations. In this piece, the authors come together in vulnerable reflection to examine tension points that emerged during a photovoice project with English Language Learners at a middle school in Virginia, USA. Analyzing themes from journal entries and interviews, and reflecting on specific scenarios in which questions of power were at play, we conclude that it is important to ground any participatory inquiry in an explicit commitment to the emancipatory epistemological commitments of PAR so that when questions of power arise, researchers can refer back to those commitments as a kind of guiding compass.