Using Photovoice to Teach an Undergraduate Psychology of Women Course: An Intersectional-Feminist Approach

Photovoice as a Research and Teaching Tool

Photovoice is a community-based participatory action research method, which uses participants’ photographic documentation of their everyday lives to record and reflect their community’s strengths and concerns (Wang & Burris, 1994). Rooted in feminist theory, which posits that women are authorities of their own lives and construct their own knowledge, photovoice takes the camera out of the hands of researchers and places it into the hands of those who do not traditionally have a voice in the political process (Wang & Burris, 1994). Photographs mirror everyday sociopolitical realities in a way that allows viewers to more easily confront the abstract and opens the door for dialogue among participants and stakeholders (Liebenberg, 2018).

Researchers often select photovoice as a methodology due to the belief that the knowledge of community members, rather than researchers and stakeholders, should be valued as a source of expertise (Wang & Burris, 1997). As an instructional strategy, photovoice has particular benefits in courses regarding social justice issues. Students often have anxiety about sharing their personal beliefs about multicultural issues for fear of saying something insensitive (Paone et al., 2018), and instructors have to balance creating a space that feels supportive for students and challenging students to rethink their biases (Chio & Fandt, 2007). It is posited that photographs may provide “psychological buffering” (Chio & Fandt, 2007, p. 488), encouraging class discussion and emphasizing the idea that there is no right answer. Additionally, taking, viewing, and examining photographs allows students to access emotions in a way that traditional texts or lectures do not (Paone et al., 2018). Research has demonstrated that this affective component is helpful for learning in courses that tackle difficult social issues, as these courses often result in students having unaddressed affect that can decrease student learning (Chick et al., 2009).

Photovoice for the Teaching of Psychology of Women

The philosophical roots of photovoice align with feminist pedagogy, which challenges the traditional hierarchical structure of knowledge, in which instructors disseminate knowledge and students are passive consumers (Freire, 1994). Under this theory, the knowledge hierarchy can be detrimental, as it may prevent students from engaging in critical consciousness (Crabtree & Sapp, 2003; hooks, 1994). Similarly, photovoice allows students themselves to construct knowledge and thus draw parallels between their experiences and social systems (Robinson-Kellig et al., 2014). Given these philosophical underpinnings, photovoice methods may be appropriate when teaching feminist-oriented Psychology of Women courses.

Robinson-Keilig and colleagues (2014) used a photovoice assignment in a graduate course on violence against women in order to integrate feminist pedagogy, specifically critical consciousness, in the classroom. Students collectively created a question to explore, capturing their own lived experiences via photographs and unearthing patterns among their captured images. These patterns then fueled small and larger group discussions about these themes and how they relate to the broader social context. Ultimately, students participating in this project were able to take ownership of their learning and knowledge, share and reflect on their own and others’ experiences, and become more aware of societal systems of oppression (Robinson-Keilig et al., 2014). Although this particular project was used within a graduate course, this project may also serve as a template for implementation of photovoice within undergraduate courses that aim to integrate feminist pedagogy.

Teaching Psychology of Women Using an Intersectional Pedagogical Lens

The use of photovoice methods clearly aligns with courses rooted in feminist theory, however Psychology of Women courses must strive to align with intersectional feminism. Historically, feminism has privileged the experiences of White women above the experiences of women at various social identity intersections (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991; Mohanty, 1988). The focus on gender beyond race, culture, country of origin, socioeconomic status, ability status, sexual orientation, and other such identity factors perpetuates the silence and misrepresentation surrounding the lived experiences of non-cisgender White individuals. An intersectional feminist approach to teaching is one that is non-exclusionary and thus centered around more than gender and the lived experiences of White women (Grzanka, 2017).

Communicating complex concepts such as power and privilege, all while adhering to the core tenets of intersectional feminist pedagogy, can be challenging (Grzanka, 2017). Undergraduate students may not be accustomed to learning environments that disrupt traditional hierarchical power dynamics and may have little experience with social justice topics. Photovoice is an experiential approach which parallels the complexity of intersectional feminism, offering students the ability to construct knowledge and see connections between their own lived experiences and societal systems. The present project utilized photovoice methodology with the intent to incorporate an intersectional feminist pedagogical lens in the instruction of an undergraduate Psychology of Women course. The present project has the potential to (1) increase student’s understanding and application of intersectionality, (2) provide a supportive environment for the learning of social justice topics in Psychology of Women, and (3) increase student’s ownership of knowledge and expertise.

Photovoice Project

The photovoice project was conducted at a 4-year public university in the mid-Atlantic United States. The Psychology of Women course was classified as an upper-level course, requiring prerequisites such as Introduction to Psychology, and included approximately 30 students. The instructor taught this course in both an in-person and online format. By the end of the Psychology of Women course, students have had opportunities to read, reflect, and discuss abstract concepts. The photovoice project was designed as an opportunity for students to advance their ownership of the course material and further integrate abstract concepts. Each week, the complexity of the course naturally advanced as students gained confidence in their ability to critically think about Psychology of Women concepts, therefore students were well prepared for an independent project by the end of the semester.

The photovoice project asked students to take or collect five photos that they personally found relevant to course content. For each photo, students were then instructed to write at least 200 to 400 words describing the meaning of the photo. Specifically, students described the content of the photo and where it was taken. Students then wrote and reflected upon why they chose that particular photo. Instructions included potential examples of why students may choose a particular photo, such as noticing that a photo surprised, challenged, or elicited a reaction in them. Lastly, students detailed how the photo related to the course content and real-world applications. Students were provided with a rubric based on the following criteria: (1) clear description of photograph, (2) explanation of why the photograph was selected, (3) connection of photograph to course content, and (4) connection of photograph to real-world applications. Instructions were clear that students would not be graded on the quality of the photos they chose, but rather on their written summaries for each photo. Based on the effort required for this assignment, the instructor made this assignment worth a significant portion of students’ final grades, similar to a traditional exam or research paper. After completing this project, students shared their projects with their classmates. While teaching this course in-person, students brought a physical copy of their photos and written descriptions to class for students to read, observe, and discuss. While teaching this course online, students posted their projects in a discussion board whereby classmates could post reactions to each other’s projects.

Student Reactions to the Photovoice Project

The instructor obtained informed consent from students in a Psychology of Women class to explore their experience with the photovoice project, with the knowledge that their reactions and experiences would be described in a publication excluding any potential identifying information. The photovoice project appeared to be successful in aiding student experiences in numerous ways. Firstly, the photovoice project may have aided in student’s understanding and application of intersectionality. The students presented photographs and summaries that reflected upon topics such as how women’s experiences of motherhood, emotional expression, body ideals, and sexuality intersected with aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, and age.

For example, a student’s photo captured a portrayal of a young adult Black woman in a hip-hop music video, and the student described how intersections of race and age shaped the portrayal of this woman’s body in the music video. The student posited that the woman’s body presented an ideal that was specific to being a young adult Black woman, whereby body ideals often involve being curvy, yet thin, in all the correct places. Additionally, the photovoice project may have provided a supportive environment for the learning of social justice topics. One student noted how the photovoice project allowed them to process their emotional responses to the course subject matter, “I really enjoyed the photovoice project and how it allowed me to express how I was relating the course content to myself behind the scenes.” Lastly, the photovoice project may have increased student’s ownership of their own knowledge and expertise by reducing the power dynamic between the instructor and students. Instead of focusing on being instructed and graded, one student described feeling better able to critically reflect on their own knowledge, “The photovoice project was engaging and thought-provoking. It truly felt more like a reflective activity rather than a graded assignment.”

The instructor also noted significant personal reactions to the photovoice project. Although the project was assigned with the intention of having students feel ownership and empowerment, the instructor struggled with letting go of their own power over students. The instructor consistently fought an urge to give more guidance to students or place more restrictions on the content of their photos. In addition to the instructor’s own struggle to give up power in assigning the photovoice project, the students felt similarly challenged by this non-traditional learning format. Classes tend to follow predictable formats, and while these formats reinforce power dynamics, they are comfortably familiar. Students experienced discomfort over not knowing the correct and incorrect ways of completing the project and expressed difficulty having confidence in their own expertise. This discomfort led students to ask the instructor for increased guidance and to inquire with the instructor if their ideas were correct. Despite the challenge of engaging in a project that goes “off script,” both students and the instructor greatly benefitted. The instructor was able to reduce the classroom power dynamic whereby students could develop ownership of their own knowledge, increase their understanding and application of intersectionality, and engage with social justice concepts in a supportive environment.

Future Directions and Considerations

In considering adopting this project in future Psychology of Women courses, there are potential challenges that are important to note. Because higher education has historically been structured in a way that values certain learning styles and skills, students may view photovoice assignments as less important than other, more established course assignments such as tests and research papers. Both students and instructors have experienced the bias of higher education toward standardized assessment and specific skills such as memorization and test-taking (White et al., 2016). This bias is rooted in Western ideas of intelligence and achievement, and it may present a structural barrier for instructors seeking to implement photovoice and other teaching techniques that are not closely aligned with the typical lecture-assessment structure of college courses (Podlucká, 2020). Though it may be difficult to break free of the typical lecture-assessment model of education, shifting toward a more active, collaborative learning model seems essential.

Additionally, it can be difficult for classroom environments to operate outside of long-established, hierarchical standards despite efforts to integrate course assignments that empower students to take ownership of their learning. For example, the first author identifies as a cisgender White woman, a position of privilege which, despite efforts to encourage equity in educational spaces, limits their ability to create a learning environment free of instructor-student power dynamics. It is also important to note that photovoice centers visual information, which may create barriers to engagement for visually impaired or blind students. Though photovoice has been used among visually impaired learners successfully (Agarwal et al., 2015; Bishop et al., 2013; Cordova et al., 2015), previous research has not explicitly described modifications made for participants with visual impairments. One example to look to when considering accommodations for students with visual impairments comes from a community-based photovoice project, “Blind with Camera,” which included community members with visual impairments (Bhowmick, n.d.). In this project, people with visual impairments not only enjoyed taking photos, they used their other senses (e.g., touch, smell) to capture scenes. In addition to valuing students with visual impairments ability to take photographs in less traditional ways, it may be helpful to provide modifications to the current photovoice project to accommodate students with visual impairments. For example, instructors can consider having students with visual impairments search for photos on the internet using keywords and image descriptions. Many internet browsers now provide clear image descriptions, whereby those with visual impairments can understand exactly what is present in a photo.

To improve future applications of this photovoice project, instructors may consider making changes to this photovoice project to further reduce the power dynamic and hierarchy. The current photovoice project is limited in that examples and instructions for the project were provided by the instructor, which actually reinforces the view that instructors have the power. In other examples of photovoice projects used within the classroom, instructors have encouraged students to actively define their own photovoice projects (Robinson-Kellig et al., 2014). By having students define the purpose of their photovoice project and the grading guidelines for their project, students are better situated as co-constructors of knowledge. The students might have engaged with the photovoice project differently if they did not have examples and instructions from the instructor which primed students’ ideas of what was an acceptable project. To further strengthen students’ identities as co-constructors of knowledge, instructors planning to implement a photovoice project may consider utilizing this project in their course as part of a collaborative, larger curriculum with other instructors. Therefore, students and instructors can be a part of facilitating knowledge construction outside of solely one course environment.

Summary

Photovoice engages and empowers students– to be active agents of their own learning and to develop an overall deeper, more intimate connection to knowledge. A photovoice project in Psychology of Women undergraduate courses has the potential to increase student’s understanding and application of intersectionality, provide a supportive environment for students to engage with social justice topics, and reduce the power dynamic in the classroom so students can increase their ownership of knowledge and expertise.