COUV ACTES - Psychologie communautaire

Community Psychology: Common Values, Diverse Practicesrepresents a series of abstract and meaningless images to the researcher, which maybe meaningful andcontextually important to the research participant. Visual imagery is not self-evident or self-explanatory butrequires interpretation from the creators of the images themselves.Through this form of interpretation, participants occupied the role of ‘meaning-makers’ in the research. In doingso, the participant is invited to ‘speak in their own voice’ to gain an understanding of ‘who they are’ within theplaces that they inhabit. I would not suggest that this results in a more authentic product, but rather it providednew means of narrative understanding, enabling deeper access into the lives of the participants themselves. Indoing so, it has allowed participants to prioritise the collection of images and visual data from their ownperspective, through the ‘lens’ and ‘gaze’ of their own lives as local residents.Yet the process of interpretation also represents considerable challenges. The process takes a considerableamount of time to facilitate. The analysis of visual data within the context of participatory research requiresanalysing each frame of video work or photographic image and this can take significant amounts of time andeffort. It also places demands upon the participants themselves especially given that the research cannot beexpected to be a priority in their lives. Another challenge is the issues of researcher positionality during theanalysis process. Here, the researcher finds themselves in a difficult position, where they are committed toprioritising the experiences of local residents whilst also ensuring that they meet the aims and objectives of theresearch. Here, the researcher must be prepared for unexpected findings, which may cause them to re-evaluatetheir aims and objectives and what they expected from the research. This is more complex when undertaking afunded research project, with fixed research boundaries.Sustainable, Long-term InvolvementA complex within the application and development of participatory visual methods is the development andsustainability of long-term relationships between the researcher and participants. Engaging in these relationshipsis fundamental to the development of trust and reciprocity between the researcher and the participants. Yet thereare implications in the development of these relationships.The research process then became transformative for the researcher and the participant; the researcher feelsilluminated by the experiences of the participant, whilst the research participant felt an increased sense ofownership and control of the research process. What results is a strong bond between the researcher, theresearch participant and the visual data. The research product becomes an embodiment of the researchparticipant themselves. As a result, expectations increase as a research product is developed which has involveda large amount of emotional and psychological involvement on behalf of the researcher and participant.Moreover, there is increased responsibility as the participant sees the researcher as the facilitator of that sensemaking. It then becomes problematic when the research comes to end and there it becomes difficult to sustainthe relationship.Here, continuing to involve the participants and sustaining the relationship between the researcher and theparticipant is important, otherwise participants may see their involvement in the research as disingenuous and not276