Photovoice is a method for participatory action research, in which people take pictures and discuss them as a way to establish personal and societal change. This research method is built upon the importance of narratives, participation, community and social action. It arose from the observation that some people’s stories are never heard in society. A similar observation can be made for recovery narratives, as people often experience that there is a non-understanding of their unique stories (Ness, Borg and Davidson, 2014). These unique and subjective narratives, however, are crucial in the process of recovery (Andersen, 2015). Photovoice can be a good way to engage with these recovery narratives.
Three objectives are often distinguished in photovoice.
- Initially, people are encouraged to share and reflect on their own lived experiences.
- Second, photovoice focuses on making these individual stories and experiences collective. An important part of this method is bringing the group together and open up ways for dialogue. This group meetings can lead to the joint development of knowledge.
- Finally, photovoice can be used as a way to achieve (social) change.