Davis, Nakisha, Jill Gallin, Dawn Schuck, and Pamela Valera. 2009.

312 Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work
Figure 7
Home Sweet Home
discussions to reflect on the pictorial data collected by participants. Both researchers
and members of a community leave these discussions with rich data and a desire for
social change. Moreover, photovoice offers a unique tool for understanding a social
problem from the perspectives of research participants that will inform quantitative
data but, what is more important, may lead to culturally appropriate solutions because
the participants are involved in the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of the
findings.
For instance, the participants recommended that increasing food stamp benefits (to
include cash) to pay for organic and healthier foods would decrease food insecurities. In
addition, providing food vouchers to use at farmers’ markets may help them afford to eat
healthier and provide better access to fresh fruits and vegetables. They also reported that the
limited food stamp program, the poor food supplies, the unkempt corner stores, and
inadequate shelter accommodations ought not to be ignored.
As a result of this study, two important action plans were implemented. The participants
wrote letters to their local assembly members to communicate the findings to policy
makers. They also presented their photovoice project at the second annual Conference
on Health Disparities at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Although our research was one of only a handful of studies to use photovoice methods
for participatory action research, it was not without its limitations. One limitation was the
small sample of nonrandomly selected women from one agency in Central Harlem. Some
participants were living in homeless family shelters with a limited ability to cook their own
meals. As a result, generalizations cannot necessarily be made to low-income women who
do not reside in homeless family shelters. However, given the remarkable burden of food
insecurity that low-income women face, further examination of the chronic health disparities
and health risks for this population from low-income neighborhoods is an important
area for social work and public health research.
312
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