Taking photographs to make sense of the world? The advantages and limitations of photo-elicitation in a qualitative study in the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

MEO, ANALIA

Ciudad de Buenos AIres

Congreso; International Visual Sociology Association. A International Conference 2008; 2008

International Visual Sociology Association.

Photo-elicitation refers to the use of a single or sets of photographs as stimulus during a research interview. It aims to trigger responses and memories and unveil participants’ attitudes, views, beliefs, and meanings, or to investigate group dynamics. This technique has gained followers amongst sociologists and anthropologists and has been utilised across a range of academic sub-fields such as sociology of childhood, youth studies and education. As part of a reflexive tide of analyses on visual methods in sociology, this paper critically unfolds the use of photo-elicitation interviews in one ethnographic study about social class inequalities and secondary schooling in two schools in the City of Buenos Aires (Argentina). It identifies some of its advantages and disadvantages as a means of producing qualitative data. To begin, I examine my research design, research questions, and methodological strategy in order to locate the inclusion of photo-elicitation interviewing. Secondly, I compare and contrast the structure and data produced by photo-elicitation interviews and by “traditional” interviews also carried out in the research. This exercise allows me to identify the benefits of photo-elicitation compared to traditional interviews, such as the opening up of unforeseen dimensions for analysis and the facilitation of a rapport with respondents; and some disadvantages, for example, the possibility of the “closing communication” effect between researcher and participant.