Recycled Minds Picture Show
by Anne Pfister on September 6, 2013 |
| ~ Co-investigadoras y amigas queridas - Co-investigators and dear friends ~ Self-portrait by Anne E. Pfister |
The collaborative project “Proyecto Fotovoz” was part of my ethnographic research exploring the experience of deafness in Mexico City, Mexico. These photos were taken during a photovoice project exploring deaf youth identity among sixth grade students at Instituto Pedagógico para Problemas de Lenguaje (IPPLIAP) from August 2012 – July 2013. Recognizing the necessity for multi-modal and visual communication choices with deaf participants, I planned the use of participatory, visual data collection methods. These methods included photovoice, which maximized deaf youth’s visual learning style and explored their visually-based understandings of the world.
During weekly photovoice workshops, my co-investigator, Marcela, and I presented themes we hoped would lend insight into the participants’ experiences and identities. The 19 youth participants responded to these themes through photography, and presented their photos to their peers in Lengua de Señas Mexicana (Mexican Sign Language, or LSM) each week. Participants were also interviewed individually in LSM to follow-up on ideas generated in group discussion during the workshop. The participants’ photos were used as guides and visual cues to augment ethnographic interviews, which in turn generated new research themes through participatory analysis.
