Exploring the Gendered Efficacy of Photovoice Methodology

Abstract

This study set out to measure the gendered efficacy of the participatory action research method of photovoice. This study utilized secondary analysis, imagery analysis, and qualitative research methods to analyze both photographs and interview transcripts from a previous photovoice study that examined the lives of individuals who have been prescribed medication for a mental illness. This study sought to: 1) evaluate the independent relationship between the researcher and the participants’ photographs; 2) unveil how effective photovoice is as a research method in terms of extracting rich data from mentally ill persons; and 3) assess photovoice’s efficacy in regard to the gender of the participants within a given study. The findings of this study indicate that the high quality of data gathered from both male and female participants in the initial study indicates that photovoice is an effective methodology for examining mentally ill populations, regardless of the participant’s gender.