A Systematic Methods Review of Photovoice Research with Indigenous Young People

Abstract

Photovoice is an emerging qualitative research method used to engage community members in research that highlights their lived experiences and initiate change. Photovoice offers potential benefits to research conducted by and with Indigenous communities through privileging Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. There is a lack of synthesized evidence about the usage, benefits, and challenges of conducting Photovoice research by and with Indigenous communities, which this systematic methods review aims to address. We specifically focus on Indigenous young people in Canada, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States. Five databases were searched systematically for articles including keywords for ‘Indigenous’ and ‘Photovoice’. Empirical studies and methods papers reporting the use of Photovoice with majority cohorts of young Indigenous participants were included. Relevant data were extracted and Photovoice methods analysed using an integrative approach. Database searches yielded 1402 articles, with 109 reviewed in full and 41 included in the review. These articles represented 37 unique studies, with most from Canada ( n = 17), and the United States ( n = 14). Our analysis revealed great variability in how Photovoice has been applied across studies with Indigenous young people. However, some notable commonalities include recruitment of participants via community networks, and participant involvement in data collection and analysis. The potential benefits associated with using Photovoice with Indigenous young people included: fostering participant autonomy and authority; photography being familiar and fun; the visual medium being culturally appropriate for Indigenous peoples; and the method being effective for engaging the whole community. Challenges associated with Photovoice included: engagement difficulties between researchers and participants; issues with photography; and ethical complexities. These findings suggest that Photovoice is an appropriate and largely effective method to engage young Indigenous people in research. However, there are logistical and ethical issues associated with the method that require careful consideration.

Empowerment strategies of the Mentor Mother peer support program among mothers who have migrated to Sweden: a photovoice study

“…In the classical Photovoice approach, participants are involved in data analysis by codifying and thematizing issues from the discussions. However, in this study, we opted for a researcher-led thematic analysis of the transcripts, similar to approaches used in some other Photovoice studies in the field [ 33 , 34 ]. Participants were then involved in discussions around these researcher-generated themes through a member check session.…”

Applications of Photovoice-Based Entrepreneurial-Minded Pedagogical Interventions in the Engineering Classroom

“…While these reviews identified gaps in the literature, offered insights, and organized findings based on the scope of the study, no suggestions for improving existing interventions were discussed [63]. Other review papers on photovoice [70,71] discussed gaps and provided recommendations for improvement in terms of application and ethical considerations but did not offer guidance on classroom application. Furthermore, in line with the results discussed in our study, similar review studies [72][73][74][75] provided recommendations, guidance, and suggestions for improvements in existing photovoice interventions.…”