PhotoVoice

PhotoVoice

By Milestone’s Photo Group Sharing Your World

PhotoVoice is a research project developed by the Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation that explores and exposes ignorance, prejudice, and discrimination through photographs and narratives.

§  Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or misinformation about mental illness

§  Prejudice refers to negative beliefs and attitudes

§  Discrimination refers to behaviors people or organizations practice that reject or avoid people diagnosed with mental illness

During this past year our photo group focused on PhotoVoice by utilizing the provided workbook, going on photo-shoots, and writing narratives about our images. The workbook is a chance for us to prepare ourselves for understanding what kinds of subject matter to photograph. To help with writing narratives the workbook asks the following questions:

1.     What do you see here?

2.     What’s really happening here?

3.     How does this relate to our lives?

4.     Why does this problem, resource, or situation exist?

5.     How could this image educate others, the community, and policy makers?

6.     What can we do about the problem, resource, or situation?

Each photograph answers these questions while each narrative helps share the photographer’s intent. There has been great success on an individual level where a heightened level of knowledge has surfaced and has been discussed and shared. The members of Sharing Your World are excited to share with everyone these personal topics and hope to erase the concept of stigma.

-Jessica Kalmar

October 2012