Navigating the Ethical and Methodological Dimensions of a Farm Safety Photovoice Project

Abstract

Scholars have noted persistent high rates of agricultural health and safety incidents and the need to develop more effective interventions. Participatory research provides an avenue to broaden the prevailing research paradigms and approaches by allowing those most impacted to illuminate and work to solve those aspects of their lives. One such approach is photovoice, an emancipatory visual narrative approach. Yet, despite its broad appeal, photovoice can be hard to implement. In this article, we leverage our experience using photovoice for a farm children safety project to describe and reflect on the ethical and methodological aspects broadly relevant to agricultural health and safety topics. We first contextualize the tensions of navigating between photovoice, the research ethics committees (RECs) regulatory frameworks, and competing views on visual representations in agriculture. We then discuss the sources of risks to participants and researchers, how we addressed these risks, and how these risks unfolded during the research phase of the photovoice activity. We conclude with three lessons we (re)learned: the importance of collaborating with RECs, the need to increase preparation to limit psychological risks to participants and researchers, and avenues to augment the emancipatory power of photovoice in a virtual environment.

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“…There already exists extensive guidance on photovoice, including step-by-step planning of a photovoice activity, debriefing picture taking, ensuring participants' privacy and physical safety, and ensuring photo rights (Evans et al, 2022;Jongeling et al, 2016;Wang & Redwood-Jones, 2001). Still, scholars have noted that practical guidance is needed to help researchers develop a photovoice project, particularly to allow researchers' adherence with the principles of both photovoice and human subject reviews (Lenette et al, 2018;Teti, 2019;Yanar et al, 2016;Becot et al, 2023). Furthermore, every photovoice project generates a unique set of situational ethical and methodological dilemmas for both the participants and those initiating the activity (Lenette et al, 2018;McDonald & Capous-Desyllas, 2021).…”

“…Unique considerations associated with picture taking and sharing must be made. Organizers of a photovoice project need to consider, among many things, the safety of participants when taking pictures, the consent process to take pictures of other people, especially if minors are involved; picture rights and ownership; and possible negative judg-ments made about participants or their community (Sutton-Brown, 2014;Becot et al 2023). In designing and implementing this project, we found that there are unique challenges particular to the school setting, where minors are present, that are not described in existing published photovoice resources.…”

Engaging, empowering, and evaluating farm-to-school projects with photovoice

“…There already exists extensive guidance on photovoice, including step-by-step planning of a photovoice activity, debriefing picture taking, ensuring participants' privacy and physical safety, and ensuring photo rights (Evans et al, 2022;Jongeling et al, 2016;Wang & Redwood-Jones, 2001). Still, scholars have noted that practical guidance is needed to help researchers develop a photovoice project, particularly to allow researchers' adherence with the principles of both photovoice and human subject reviews (Lenette et al, 2018;Teti, 2019;Yanar et al, 2016;Becot et al, 2023). Furthermore, every photovoice project generates a unique set of situational ethical and methodological dilemmas for both the participants and those initiating the activity (Lenette et al, 2018;McDonald & Capous-Desyllas, 2021).…”

“…Unique considerations associated with picture taking and sharing must be made. Organizers of a photovoice project need to consider, among many things, the safety of participants when taking pictures, the consent process to take pictures of other people, especially if minors are involved; picture rights and ownership; and possible negative judg-ments made about participants or their community (Sutton-Brown, 2014;Becot et al 2023). In designing and implementing this project, we found that there are unique challenges particular to the school setting, where minors are present, that are not described in existing published photovoice resources.…”