Photovoice - Case Study (Fielding)

Photovoice – Case Study
Summary of RAP project - Feilding Pilot Site
Lisa Foggin – Health Promoter for RAP ‘Respect All People’ Whakamana Tangata
June 2010

Table of Contents

Introduction
Photovoice Concept
Implementation
- Photovoice Questions
- Method
- Youth Forum – Youth Forum Committee
Outcomes Achieved
Project Evaluation
- Impacts
- Competency Building
- Critical Awareness
- Critical Review
- Processes
- Empowerment
- Resource Creation
- Safe Discussion
Further Analysis
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The primary focus of the RAP – Respect All People, Whakamana Tangata project was to reduce and replace violence in the environments we provide to young people. As young people are influenced by the environments they live and function, the three RAP pilot sites aimed to reduce the incidence of violence and replace violence with respectful behaviour using a ‘settings’ approach. Each of the pilot sites trialling the ‘settings’ approach adopted diverse methods of achieving project outcomes.
In June 2008, Mr Garth Baker in the role of the National RAP Project Manager introduced the concept of Photovoice to the two Health Promoters based at the Feilding pilot site. The RAP Project Manager identified that Photovoice could be used as an effective vehicle for young people to communicate their views and help them explore, identify and make positive changes to local issues affecting their safety and wellbeing. Being actively involved in changing their environment promoted the ‘settings’ approach concept of RAP, providing a fun and safe means to hear the views of young people.

Photovoice Concept

Photovoice was pioneered by Caroline Wang (1996) as a way of including marginalised or disempowered voices into social analysis for social change and positive social development. Wang & Burns (1997) note the riches and diversity of the data generated, levels of community ownership of research and the way it contributed to the evolution of existing community projects. They also acknowledge the benefits in terms of community problem solving and tangible gains to community in terms of health, resources and wellbeing.
Photovoice has been widely recognised internationally and within New Zealand as being an innovative approach to empower youth, whose voices are often silenced, to participate in research enabling them to communicate their beliefs and needs through photographic imagery.
Photovoice projects are youth led; contribute to youth wellbeing and address social issues as seen through the eyes of our youth. Participants readily engage in the Photovoice process through the creation of safe and supportive environment for youth to explore and critically reflect upon local issues that are affecting them.
Whariki Research Group, Massey University, Auckland concluded through their action research that "Photovoice was an invaluable tool for working with young people in positive strength-based approaches that can build capacity within youth communities to identify and engage with important social challenges" (Jensen, Hector McCreanor & Moewaka Barnes, 2006, p.40)
Jensen et al. (2006) also reported that participants of Photovoice gained skills through group work, writing, design, creation and editing of power points and successfully presenting them to an interesting, high-powered audience.
Egan-Britan (2010) used Photovoice as one of the methods to study the views and experiences of children and young adults living in low socio-economic communities throughout New Zealand. She found that children and young people believed that upgrading the physical environment in which they live improves opportunities and wellbeing. This included clean public spaces and having access to safe playgrounds and recreational facilities (2010, p.22)
Nine Photovoice projects have been completed by one of the two Health Promoters based at the Feilding pilot site over an eighteen month period. Photovoice has provided opportunities for youth to promote social changes within their community and become actively involved in physically changing their environment, promoting respectful relationships, increasing resources and deepening sense of community belonging.

Implementation

The RAP project in Manawatu consisted of (but was not limited to) the following stages:

• 4 X 1.5 hour Photovoice workshops delivered by Health Promoter at individual schools
• Youth identification of key issues affecting their health, safety and well-being
• Photographic images and picture interpretation to identify social issues within community
• Knowledge gathering and understanding of local communities from a youth perspective
• Creation of power-point presentation through group work
• Presentation of power-point to key community figures, policy-makers and other youth
• representatives attending the Manawatu Youth Forum
• Youth Forum Committee facilitation and updating of Action-Progress report detailing key issues as identified by youth
• Evaluation of actions arising from Photovoice projects
• Active promotion of positive change

Photovoice Questions

The focus of Photovoice in Manawatu involved young people identifying how their community could be a safer and friendly place for them to live and grow. The RAP Project Manager identified the following three questions for young people to take photographs and tell stories to answer:

1. What helps you feel safe at school and within your community?
2. What makes you feel unsafe?
3. What would help your school and your community be safer places?

The Health Promoter incorporated these three questions into a presentation that was delivered at workshop one. When answering these questions, the young people were asked to consider what is currently in place that helps them feel safe and what could be implemented that would make them feel safer. These could be particular places, key people and specific events.
Participants also wrote stories about what each photograph meant to them and discussed these issues with the wider group to identify key themes. The photographs and stories highlighting the views of the young people were then transferred to a power-point presentation and delivered to key members of their community at a Youth Forum, attended by other youth representatives and policy makers, who would then consider how to better meet the needs of young people.

Method

Nine Photovoice projects have been delivered by the Health Promoter across a range of socio-economic and culturally diverse groups in seven different schools across Manawatu. Youth were selected by school staff and ranged in age from 9 to 18 years.
The Health Promoter initially made contact with School Principals, or Deputy Principals, by letter, email or phone to explain the Photovoice concept and to gauge level of interest in project participation. For schools requiring further information prior to confirming their commitment to the project, the Health Promoter would meet with key member(s) of staff from interested school.
Upon confirmation of engagement, the Health Promoter would negotiate mutually convenient times to deliver the one and a half hour workshops and identify a key contact person. In most cases the contact person would be the classroom teacher. The participating schools would contribute staff resources for supervision and transporting of students to youth or community locations. All other costs were accomodated by Te Manawa Services and the RAP funding.
Once workshop dates had been confirmed, the Health Promoter would send out consent forms and Photovoice information sheets to key contact at school (See Appendix 1 & 2.) All participants were required to complete and return their consent form to school prior to commencement of workshop one.
Ideally the Photovoice group would involve small group numbers of 8 – 12 students; however the Health Promoter has worked with whole year groups/classes (up to 27 students) to promote inclusion and to minimise disruption to school timetable. Whilst these projects have been successful, the implications of involving larger group sizes will be discussed later on in this section.
Initially it was considered that 4 x 1.5 hour workshops were sufficient to deliver the project with adequate time for students to reach a stage where they felt prepared and confident to deliver their presentations at the Youth Forum. It was identified that for some groups this was insufficient time to complete the project and more workshops were required. This will be discussed later on in this section.

The content of the four workshops are summarised below:
Workshop 1:

• Ensure collection of consent forms to engage in Photovoice
• Deliver Photovoice presentation to provide overview of the purpose and process
• Discuss the three questions that participants will focus upon (as listed in section 3.1)
• Discuss the concept of ethics and informed consent for the taking pf photographs
• Answer any questions arising from presentation
• Divide group into smaller group sizes of 3-4 participants
• Invite smaller groups to feed back to larger group
• From this discussion, key themes will emerge and will be used to identify community areas
• where photographs will be taken in workshop 2.

Prior to workshop 2, Health Promoter would summarise on one page document, key issues raised by youth and identify areas for each small group to photograph during workshop 2. This summary was emailed to the point of contact at school to enable transportation, drivers and staff supervision to be arranged prior to workshop 2.

Workshop 2:

• Explain how cameras work
• Remind participants of ethics/consent when obtaining photographs of other people
• Divide group into smaller groups, as identified in summary document and as determined by key themes emerging from workshop 1
• Remind participants to record their thoughts at the time of taking each photograph
• If transport required, direct each group to identified driver and determine time for groups to return to school
• Set task for participants arriving back earlier than other groups (i.e. begin to download photographs from camera onto computer. Select photographs that best illustrate their concerns)
• Individual groups download photographs from cameras onto computer *check with individual school where photographs are to be stored (i.e. create a folder on shared drive for participants to access photos)

Workshop 3:

• In small groups, participants choose the images they would like represented on their presentation and begin to transfer images onto power point template. (RAP slide template is made available by Health Promoter; however some groups prefer to personalise presentation and use their own template.)
• If small groups have been working independently, power points from individual groups are brought together by Health Promoter (or willing student with good ICT skills) onto one presentation.

Workshop 4:

• Participants rehearse delivery of their presentation, making any required amendments. With larger group sizes, students initially practice presentation in smaller groups before reforming as large group.

This process was initially planned over four 1.5 hour sessions; however in practice transferring images to power point and bringing together stories and searching for new images to show suggested solutions invariably takes longer than the 1.5 hours allocated for workshop 3. This is particularly pertinent to larger groups or groups who have limited access to computers.

Laterally the Health Promoter has allowed up to six 1.5 hour workshops. The steps from workshop 3 have extended into workshop 4. Workshop 5 has allowed for small group rehearsals with individual feedback from Health Promoter and any amendments made at this stage. Workshop 6 has then allowed for a more relaxed rehearsal of presentation to the wider group, with opportunities for participants to practise their delivery several times prior to formal presentation at the Youth Forum.

Youth Forum – Youth Forum Committee

Completed presentations are delivered by young people at the Manawatu Youth Forum, held at the Council Chambers of Manawatu District Council and facilitated initially by both Health Promoters and laterally by one of the Health Promoters. School representatives from other schools are invited to the Forum, alongside the Manawatu District Mayor, policy advisers, decision-makers and key community stakeholders working alongside youth.
Following delivery of the Photovoice presentation, attendees of the Youth Forum are invited to ask questions relating to the social issues raised by the presenting group. The Health Promoter is present in a supportive capacity and to add clarity where necessary.
Following the Youth Forum, all issues raised by the youth are entered onto an ‘Action-Progress’ report by the Health Promoter in preparation for the Youth Forum Committee meeting which is held the following week. This report is discussed by Youth Forum Committee members and a suggested action assigned to each issue that has been raised. The Health Promoter will feed back these actions to the presenting group, who will then be allocated tasks to help address the issues raised. Each action remains on the ‘Action-Progress’ report until completed. In the event that completion of a particular action is not viable (i.e. for financial or logistical reasons); an explanation will be provided and/or alternative action considered.

Outcomes Achieved

Through the Photovoice process there have been many changes to the local community contributing to positive changes to social and physical environments in which participants live. Youth have become actively involved in changes to their environment and have remained committed and motivated to projects in the knowledge that their voices have been heard. The items listed below provide an insight into some of the actions that youth have initiated and played an integral role:

• Sitting on committees, such as Manawatu District Council’s Leisureville project; a long term project planning future leisure facilities in Feilding
• Designing, drawing and submiting plans to the Council for changes to local parks
• Painting decorative murals for public toilets
• Painting over graffiti at the skate park
• Writing to the Council’s Roading Manager requesting that speed limit be reduced in areas identified by youth as high risk
• Writing to local Police requesting extra attention around areas they identified feeling unsafe
• Request for improved lighting in poorly lit areas
• Writing to Parks & Reserves Manager requesting overhanging trees at local river be trimmed back to reduce drowning hazard
• Designing and distributing posters highlighting harmful effects of alcohol
• Writing to NZ Transport Agency requesting bridge over railway regularly crossed by public

• Approaching other community groups to deliver presentation
• Repair to park equipment
• Signs installed in public toilets for visitors to report defects/request cleaning
  
  

Project Evaluation

Due to the similarity of this project with the project evaluated by Foster-Fisherman et al. (2005), A similar evaluation matrix was adopted to assess the impact of the Photovoice projects in Feilding.

Impacts

The benefits to youth participating in the Manawatu Photovoice projects extend far beyond being provided with a platform for their voices to be heard. Through their active participation and ownership of projects, participants have gained and developed skills in areas including leadership, peer support, problem solving, negotiation, conflict resolution, presentation skills and team work.
Youth have been provided with opportunities to highlight social issues that are affecting their safety and wellbeing to policy makers and key community figures, develop leadership skills by liaising and negotiating directly with decision-makers and have been actively involved in many of the solutions; thus playing an integral role in changing the environment in which they live.
Community partners attending the Youth Forum had local knowledge and understanding of population profile and were sensitive to local issues and concerns raised by youth. This has helped ensure that realistic and appropriate actions have been identified and implemented.

Competency Building

Through Photovoice, youth were provided with and initiated a wide spectrum of competency building opportunities through different aspects of the project. Photovoice provided a platform for enrichment activities that opened up a variety of opportunities for education outside the classroom.
School staff have approached the Health Promoter to request the delivery of additional Photovoice projects due to the number of curriculum requirements, in particular student values and competencies for learning, being met through the project.
The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) specifies student values to be encouraged, modelled and  explored, as ‘...holding these values and acting upon them we are able to live together and thrive‘ (pg.10). Students are encouraged to value innovation, inquiry and curiosity by thinking critically, creatively and reflectively; to care for the environment; to be active members of the community and promote participation; to aim high and persevere in the face of difficulties; to strive for equity through fairness and social justice; to act with integrity by being honest, responsible, accountable and acting ethically; to value diversity as found in our different cultures.
The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) also identifies five competencies that are the key to every learning area and are developed through the Photovoice process. These five key competencies for  living and life long learning are; thinking (making sense of information), using language, symbols and texts (recognising how choice of language affects people’s understanding and confidently using ICT  through preparation of presentations), managing self (managing project, meeting challenges,  establishing personal goals), relating to others (interacting with peers, Health Promoter, Policy-makers and community members in a variety of contexts and recognising different points of views, negotiating, sharing ideas) and participating and contributing (being actively involved in community and contributing to the quality and sustainability of social, cultural, physical and economic environments.)

Critical Awareness

Through the Photovoice process, participants had the opportunity to explore and critically examine specific people, places, behaviours and things that helped them feel safe within their community.
They also identified aspects of their community that were detrimentally impacting upon their safety and well being. Through individual and group work, they were able to research these areas in more depth and from these discussions identified key themes that they would like to photograph and  interpret through their stories.

Critical Review

Once the social issues had been identified, youth were able to take ownership of their research and identify potential solutions to the presenting issues. The critical review process involved peer discussions and public debate at the Youth Forum with decision makers, other youth representatives and professionals working alongside youth. Through these negotiations, identified solutions were drawn up and recorded on an ‘Action-Progress’ report. This report was reviewed regularly and updated by youth and Health Promoter.

Processes

Initially the Health Promoter delivered four one and a half hour workshops to groups prior to the  Youth delivering their completed presentation at the Youth Forum. It soon became apparent, particularly for larger groups or where students had limited access to computers, that this was insufficient time for youths to complete their presentations or reach a stage where they felt confident to deliver their findings. The Health Promoter adapted the process to allow up to six one and a half hour sessions. Workshops one and two remained the same, with workshops three and
four being doubled to allow three hours for each. Most schools preferred the sessions over a one and a half hour period; hence increased to six workshops.

The three Photovoice questions detailed in 3.0.1 were the focus of the majority of the projects; however the Health Promoter adapted these questions for two schools that identified a particular area of interest and highlighted the flexibility and adaptability of the process.
Cameras with rechargeable batteries are recommended for future projects, as oppose to disposable batteries, which were not found to be cost effective and rarely lasted the duration of workshop 2 without requiring replacement.

Empowerment

Consent was a continual process and participants were able to withdraw from the project at any time without consequences. This helped ensure that project was youth directed and that youth continued to have choices as project developed.
Photovoice has been widely recognised internationally and within New Zealand as being an innovative approach to empower youth to participate in research enabling them to communicate their beliefs and needs through  photographic imagery. Youth who have participated in this pilot project have remarked that the most empowering elements of the projects are having the opportunity to speak in the Council Chambers and knowing that their voices are being heard by seeing the changes to the community as a direct consequence of their projects.
Young people have had the opportunity to share their views with key community figures. Manawatu District Council is committed to continuing to hear the voices of our youth through Photovoice which will empower future youth to communicate local issues that are affecting them.

Resource Creation

The RAP Project Manager, in consultation with Health Promoter, designed and produced an Information Sheet and Consent Form specifically for the Feilding RAP project (see Appendix 1 & 2.)
Further consideration regarding the consent process may be required when working with culturally diverse groups (see section 6.0.)
Each of the nine projects produced a power-point presentation. These presentations were delivered by youth at the Youth Forum, within individual schools and at other community Forums. Further  promotion of the outcomes achieved through the project would raise awareness across the wider community of social issues affecting youth and positive changes that have occurred as a result of the project. This is an area for future development.
Parks have been repaired and updated as a result of the Photovoice projects and plans have been submitted for consideration of new parks and skate parks. Signs have been installed in public toilets detailing a Council number to contact if toilets require repair and/or cleaning. Showers and a new toilet block have been built in a rural community and lighting has been replaced/improved in areas previously poorly lit. Posters highlighting harmful effects of alcohol have been created and distributed around key public sites. The community cricket pitch in Feilding has been repaired. A derelict building has been demolished and workshops have been delivered at schools addressing dog safety.

Safe Discussion

The Health Promoter created a safe and respectful environment for youth to explore social issues that were impacting upon safety and wellbeing. Participating youth were encouraged and felt at ease expressing their views in a positive, supportive environment that promoted the development of respectful relationships between peers and Health Promoter.

Further Analysis

Wang & Burns (1997) acknowledge that Photovoice seems adaptable to work with different cultural groups and settings. There did not appear to be differing levels of engagement and participation in projects based on cultural groups; however ensuring that the Photovoice terminology and approach meets the needs of all cultural groups is an area that requires further analysis as highlighted below.
When delivering Photovoice in a Māori Boys High School, the Health Promoter became aware that the definition of ‘community’ and ‘family’ differs significantly between cultural groups. An appreciation and understanding of tūrangawaewae (a place to stand, home place where you feel empowered and connected) and whanaungatanga (extended family relationships) are of particular significance when working with Rangatahi and has been identified by the Health Promoter as an aspect of the Photovoice process that requires further guidance, research and development.
The discussion surrounding young people’s consent may have been predominantly addressed from a western perspective, which tends to focus on ethical issues pertaining to an individual’s involvement and subsequent rights (Egan-Bitran, 2010, p.35.) This process may need to be explored further and adapted to ensure that Māori and Pacific perspectives are considered; the individual requiring consent being an integral part of an extended family and wider community (Suaalii & Movoa, 2001, p.1)
Sutton, Smith, Dearden &Middleton (2007) identified that public space is social space for children and young people and that the quality of this space, security and opportunities for alternative activities is of critical importance, particularly for low-income children. Each of the nine Photovoice projects highlighted their use of public space as social space, and identified areas of their community where their perceived lack of safety minimised opportunities for this public space to be used. Youth considered that the provision of a Youth Centre, increased security in public spaces and skate parks that were staffed would help reduce risks, promote freedom of play and increase social
opportunities. Whilst youth have been provided with opportunities to be involved in planning of leisure activities and re-design of parks and open spaces, this remains an area to be developed further to help ensure that children and young people, particularly from low-income families who may lack space at home, have opportunities to safely enjoy public and open spaces.

In summary, to further explore youth perspectives and engage young people in shaping and improving their social and physical environments the following will provide an opportunity for future Photovoice development:

• Increase participation and engagement of marginalised groups
• Increase engagement within Rangatahi settings and Iwi Māori
• Planned and structured framework to adequately meet diverse needs of group
• Increase critical reflection process to deepen understanding of issues affecting youth
• Expand opportunities for youth voices to be heard through other visual and auditory imagery; including drawings, music, poems, video clips, dance and drama
• Reflect upon strengths of the community and what youth consider to be positive social and environmental issues
• Consider most effective Forum to present Photovoice projects (e.g. Community Board meetings, Council meetings, Youth Forum, school assemblies, conferences, websites, Marae)
• Local (Manawatu District Council) and national (NNSVS) websites to detail Photovoiceprocess and completed projects

• Creation of Questions & Answers facility for web viewers
• Create resources of value to the community for its own purposes and development
• Create opportunities to deliver Photovoice training to youth workers, teachers and other community members in order to promote sustainability of Photovoice both locally (within  Manawatu) and nationally

Conclusion

Photovoice projects are an invaluable research method, which inherently attracts young people’s participation and inclusion in social issues affecting their community. Photovoice provides an opportunity to engage young people in shaping and improving their social and physical environments. The most powerful aspect of Photovoice is that it provides a voice for people who are sometimes silent and not involved with decision-making.
Photovoice has facilitated an increase in community resources, promoted community problem solving, helped young people build greater respect for each other and their community and re- connected youth to their environment. Photovoice has enabled Te Manawa Services and the Fielding pilot site to meet the RAP aim and objectives to reduce the incidence of violence and replace violence with respectful behaviour using a powerful and effective ‘settings approach.
Throughout this pilot, Photovoice has proved to be an effective method to engage with and hear the views of young people, providing opportunities to gain a deeper insight and understanding of the issues, concerns, experiences and realities of community safety and wellbeing from a young person’s perspective. Policy advisors and decision makers within the community have been presented with a more complete picture of key issues affecting the safety and wellbeing of youth, thus providing an insight into how better address and meet their needs.

References

Egan-Britan, M. (2010) ‘This is how I see it: Children, young people and young adults views and experiences of poverty’. Office of the Children’s Commissioner
Foster-Fisher, P.; Nowell, B.; Deacon, Z.; Niever, M.; & McCann, P. (2005) Using Methods that matter: The impact of reflection dialogue and voice. American Journal of Community Psychology 36:3/4, 275-291
Jensen, V.; Hector, K.; McCreanor, T.; Moewaka Barnes, H. (2006) ‘Back off Ma this is our project’:
Youth Photovoice research in Clendon and Mangere . Report to Ministry of Youth Development 3-42
Ministry of Education (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum: for English-medium teaching and learning in years 1-13. Wellington: Learning Media
Suaalii, T. M., and Movoa, H. (2001) ‘Who says yes?’: Collective and individual framing of Pacific children’s consent to, and participation in research in New Zealand. Childrenz Issues 5:1 39-42
Sutton, L., Smith, N., Dearden, C., & Middleton, S. (2007) A child’s-eye view of social difference. Joseph Rowntree Foundation: York
Wang, C., Burris, M. & Xiang, X. (1996) Chinese women as visual anthropologists. Social Science and  Medicine 42 1391-1400
Wang, C, & Burris, A. (1997) Photovoice: concept methodology and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education and Behaviour 24:3, 369-387