572
Using photographs allows researchers and participants to interact differently
than when using conventional discursive research methods. According to Clark
(2012), when photographs are used to elicit narratives, participants become empowered as part of the research process rather than being objects of the research.
Moreover, participants are actively encouraged to become researchers instead of
research subjects. Furthermore, combining photographs with captions, narratives,
or conversation excerpts adds an experiential and human element – something
which scientific research often lacks. Using photographs can be an effective and
efficient method to gather information when research presents constraints such as a
lack of resources or time. Thus, our method uses theoretical strands from documentary photography, photovoice methodology, and DS, and we refer to it as imagebased digital storytelling.
Photovoice was developed as a participatory action research (PAR) methodology.
Developed by Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris it was originally known as photo
novella (Wang and Burris 1994). Its theoretical underpinnings stem from Feminism,
Freierian Education for Critical Consciousness, and participatory documentary photography (Latz 2017). Essentially, its premise is that participants express themselves
through the photographs they take. As a PAR method, it empowers participants and,
therefore, according to White et al. (1991), it avoids treating participants passively.
Participants often caption their photographs or provide a narrative which can lead to
digital stories. In contrast to conventional DS which often begins with a narrative and
brings in the visual element later, Photovoice is image driven.
We wanted the method to stay within the PAR philosophy in so much as participants were as actively involved as possible. Nevertheless, we recognised potential
challenges at the early stages of developing the methodology and which are in line
with the limitations often encountered when undertaking this type of research.
Within academia, these often include “demands on the researcher, externally defined
and mandated projects, […], lack of resources, and lack of time” (Latz 2017, p 29).
In the villages where we were to apply our methodology, language and lack of education and electricity can be overriding issues. Thus, due to contextual resource
constraints, we opted to elicit a narrative from participants by using the image/discussion dynamic in the hope that it would overcome these potential obstacles.
The methodology involved active cooperation of 11 final-year Agriculture
Development Communication (ADC) students at LUANAR. The students were trained
on how to collaboratively gather images with project beneficiaries and how to use these
images to drive a personal narrative. The hybrid method retained many of the important
characteristics of both Photovoice and DS but was tailored to fit our context.
3 Image-Based Digital Storytelling: Workshops and Field
Visits
The training and storytelling took place during two separate visits to Malawi – the
first of which was in November 2017. This involved 3 days of classroom workshops
with the 11 students and some faculty members, along with one field visit to
N. G. Davey and M. K. Moulton
Using photographs allows researchers and participants to interact differently
than when using conventional discursive research methods. According to Clark
(2012), when photographs are used to elicit narratives, participants become empowered as part of the research process rather than being objects of the research.
Moreover, participants are actively encouraged to become researchers instead of
research subjects. Furthermore, combining photographs with captions, narratives,
or conversation excerpts adds an experiential and human element – something
which scientific research often lacks. Using photographs can be an effective and
efficient method to gather information when research presents constraints such as a
lack of resources or time. Thus, our method uses theoretical strands from documentary photography, photovoice methodology, and DS, and we refer to it as imagebased digital storytelling.
Photovoice was developed as a participatory action research (PAR) methodology.
Developed by Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris it was originally known as photo
novella (Wang and Burris 1994). Its theoretical underpinnings stem from Feminism,
Freierian Education for Critical Consciousness, and participatory documentary photography (Latz 2017). Essentially, its premise is that participants express themselves
through the photographs they take. As a PAR method, it empowers participants and,
therefore, according to White et al. (1991), it avoids treating participants passively.
Participants often caption their photographs or provide a narrative which can lead to
digital stories. In contrast to conventional DS which often begins with a narrative and
brings in the visual element later, Photovoice is image driven.
We wanted the method to stay within the PAR philosophy in so much as participants were as actively involved as possible. Nevertheless, we recognised potential
challenges at the early stages of developing the methodology and which are in line
with the limitations often encountered when undertaking this type of research.
Within academia, these often include “demands on the researcher, externally defined
and mandated projects, […], lack of resources, and lack of time” (Latz 2017, p 29).
In the villages where we were to apply our methodology, language and lack of education and electricity can be overriding issues. Thus, due to contextual resource
constraints, we opted to elicit a narrative from participants by using the image/discussion dynamic in the hope that it would overcome these potential obstacles.
The methodology involved active cooperation of 11 final-year Agriculture
Development Communication (ADC) students at LUANAR. The students were trained
on how to collaboratively gather images with project beneficiaries and how to use these
images to drive a personal narrative. The hybrid method retained many of the important
characteristics of both Photovoice and DS but was tailored to fit our context.
3 Image-Based Digital Storytelling: Workshops and Field
Visits
The training and storytelling took place during two separate visits to Malawi – the
first of which was in November 2017. This involved 3 days of classroom workshops
with the 11 students and some faculty members, along with one field visit to
N. G. Davey and M. K. Moulton