The use of visual research methods in the South African research context

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African society presents a complex and diverse environment to social scientists.Within immense economic stratification; a multitude of cultures and classes; languages andtheir dialects; and varied racial groups, researchers attempt to produce information thatcontributes constructively to policy, programs and a host of services. Beneath the surfacealso lay complex power issues informed by both political and cultural histories. Manycontexts in which researchers find themselves continue to be marginalised and oppresseddue to factors such as illiteracy and low-levels of education, age, gender and poverty. Thesegroups often include women and children, in particular adolescents. Qualitative visualmethods may provide researchers with a tool by which to address many of the concernsraised in the literature surrounding research carried out under such conditions. Visualmethods may remove inherent power imbalances, as well as traditional barriers, such asculture and language, that stem from more 'conservative' research methods. Images mayallow participants to vocalise the taken-for-granted in their lives in an empowering manner.The recognition and use of visual images in research with marginalised and oppressedgroups is being increasingly recognised by the larger research community. A preliminaryoverview of the available literature highlights existing disagreement surrounding thetheoretical underpinnings of visual methods. This is particularly seen in the various andconfusing levels of abstraction presented in the literature. The primary aim of this study istherefore, to gain clarity and understanding as regards the methodological andepistemological underpinnings of visual research methods within the social sciences. Assuch, a comprehensive literature review has been conducted. A second aim of the study is toset out a typology of methods that would be relevant for use in marginalised communities.The third aim of the study is empirical in nature and aims to highlight the role and/orpossibilities of visual research methods within the South African social sciences researchcontext. This is achieved by means of a case study which explores how motherhood isexperienced by five teenagers in a sub-economic community outside of Cape Town. It doesthis by providing participants cameras with which to visually express their understanding andexperiences of motherhood. Processed photographs in this case study have been analysedby means of informal discussion, directed by the images, with the participants themselves.These discussions were recorded and transcribed. The results of the interviews were thenanalysed using grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The results emerging from thishave been compared with relevant literature. In this way, results are also triangulated, addingto their reliability (Lucchinni, 1996). Consequently, results of this case study provide acomparative component by which to assess the applicability of visual methods in the SouthAfrican research context. Both the literature review as well as experiences of the case studyalso form the basis of suggestions for further exploration.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University