EXISTENTIAL THEME: SOCIAL JUSTICE

I came upon a journal article in Educational Studies (September-October 2011) that integrates qualitative research methods and photographic art to highlight contemporary social justice issues. In this case, the issue is community apathy toward homelessness in general, and the plight of one homeless woman, in particular. The article begins by acknowledging the work of journalists such as Jacob Riis (1849-1914) who chronicled the deplorable living conditions of tenement dwellers in New York City during the early twentieth century, along with the work of Lewis Hine (1874-1914) who photographed children working under abusive conditions in coal mines and factories. The authors of the article make the distinction between those early documentarians, whose photographic work, they claim, was more journalistic in approach, and the photography utilized in this piece as art making for the purpose of advancing social justice education.

Abstract for article:

This article describes the use of Photography and Oral History research methods as part of a collaborative research project on homelessness in Miami. Issues involving the use of documentary photography and oral history as a means of creating greater social awareness in the general public are explored, as well as broader issues of social justice. (Provenzo, p. 419)

Reference:  Provenzo, Jr., E. F., Ameen, E., Bengochea, A., Doorn, K., Pontier, R., & Sembiante, S. (2011). Photography and Oral History as a Means of Chronicling the Homeless in Miami: The StreetWays Project. Educational Studies, 47(5), 419-435. Photographs by Lewis Wilkinson, Independent Photographer and Documentarian


UNCG students can access the entire article, with enlarged photos, by clicking on the link and typing in your UNCG username and password:
http://www.tandfonline.com.libproxy.uncg.edu/doi/full/10.1080/00131946.2011.602151