Beyond seeing : a photovoice documentation

Abstract

This dissertation explores the use of photovoice as a participatory visual method to explore meanings of identity, belonging and culture in Malta’s growing diverse social context. The research investigates how participants from different backgrounds represent and make meaning of their everyday lives through photography and discussion of their photographs. Within a constructivist paradigm and a Participatory Action Research approach, four participants co-researched by creating photographic documentation over a number of months, followed by semi-structured interviews discussing the meanings of their photographs. The data were analysed through a thematic approach incorporating visual narrative, in order to give equal weight to both visual and verbal data. Four themes were derived from the data: food and shared rituals, pets and emotional belonging, sea and place-based identity, and work and everyday integration, which demonstrate how belonging is constituted through mundane practices, emotional attachments, and the negotiation of cultural identity as part of daily life. A final contribution to the study is a co-created photobook that represents the participants' lived experience, as well as the possibility of participatory visual methods to support agency, dialogue and meaningful representation. The research also highlights the possibilities of photovoice within Media Literacy Education, indicating how visual narratives can promote critical reflection, inclusive practices and intercultural awareness. Overall, the study broadens the scope of photovoice to a small-island context and suggests ways to use photovoice in educational and community contexts, while suggesting future research and practice.