Adaptation of PhotoVoice methodology to promote policy dialog among street-based drug users in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract

Background-Like other epidemics, the current heroin epidemic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is a largely invisible and devastating social problem linked to numerous structural and social determinants of health. Methods-In this article, we connect a community-based participatory research methodology-"PhotoVoice"-with the theoretical orientation of critical medical anthropology to identify local interpretations of complex social and structural factors that are most salient to the well-being of local Dominican populations affected by drug addiction. Results-Specifically, we describe Proyecto Lentes (Lens Project), a PhotoVoice initiative launched in 2014, which brought together active drug users to visually unveil and critically analyze the micro-and macro-factors shaping the marginalized and stigmatized drug addiction epidemic in Santo Domingo. Conclusions-While the synthesis of PhotoVoice and critical medical anthropology provides a powerful political analysis tool, this fusion is particularly apt in its ability to capture the "invisible voices" of marginalized communities, potentially contributing to future policy reform and social empowerment.

“We don't get much of a voice about anything”: perspectives on photovoice among people who inject drugs

“…It provides participants with opportunities to document and reflect on their community and individual needs, converse about important topics by sharing photographs, and reach policymakers and other community stakeholders with insights into particular areas of concern [7–11]. Photovoice has been widely used with marginalized populations [12–17] including people who use drugs [18–21] to provide insights into their unique experiences. In studies of individuals who use drugs, visual methods have helped to explore and illuminate the complicating factors of homelessness, poverty, lack of access to healthcare [18–20], and stigma and discrimination [20].…”

“…However, photovoice projects with people who use drugs have focused less on strategies to support access to healthcare services, which is an increasingly important avenue for research in the context of the US opioid crisis. Importantly, most of the published photovoice research with people who use drugs have been conducted outside of the USA [12–15], and we have not identified any published research studies using photovoice with US PWID.…”

Miami in Transformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Participatory Visual Culture Analysis

“…eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics captions to analyse their daily realities and advocate for public dialogue and social/policy changes (Wang & Burris, 1997). In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and to make the opportunity to participate in the project available to anyone and everyone residing in Miami, we decided to forego photography and critical analysis workshops that are usually present in PhotoVoice projects (e.g., Graham et al, 2013;; Padilla et al, 2019;; Vertovec, 2020;; Witkowski et al, 2020; Witkowski et al, , 2021. Instead, we gathered photographs and captions through an online call for submissions that we then uploaded into a 'living' gallery with the hope that the online forum would encourage critical thought and potential discussions based around what viewers saw in the gallery and shared with their immediate social circles.…”

Visualizing a Calculus of Recovery: Calibrating Relations in an Opioid Epicenter

“…Participatory visual methods also suggest strategies for navegating the complex dynamics of representation involved in research with vulnerable populations in order document and explain relations that they encounter and find meaningful (Bukowski and Buetow 2011 ; Fast 2017 ). In prior studies, participatory photography has been used to understand emic perspectives on addiction (Abadie et al 2018 ; Padilla et al 2019 ; Syvertsen et al 2017 ), as well as recovery from other forms of illness (Cabassa et al 2013 ; Mizock et al 2014 ). However, to our knowledge, no studies have used participatory photography to specifically explore attempts at, and experiences of recovery from SUD.…”