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What is photovoice?
Photovoice is a participatory research and critical thinking method that invites participants to use photography to represent and reflect on their experiences and use their images to build community and collaborate for positive change. A unique way to document needs and promote dialogue, photovoice can illuminate barriers to access and influence policy and resource decision making in respectful and supportive ways. Photovoice can ignite public interest about important topics that are relevant within a community, using pictures and narratives as a creative way to document stories, struggles, and strengths.
About the project
In the spring of 2019, 18 women urban agriculturalists from across Pittsburgh were given disposable cameras and asked to take pictures to "tell their story" of their experience in urban agriculture. After three weeks of picture taking, participants met together during a reflection meeting to share their photos, select which ones they want to share with the public, create titles, and write narratives for their photographs. These images and stories are displayed on this website's digital gallery and in an in-person exhibit.
The project is coordinated by
Hannah Whitley, a graduate student
at Pennsylvania State University,
whose Master's thesis explores
how socially constructed identities
complicate barriers and opportunities
for urban growers and connect to
broader institutional inequities that
perpetuate these problems.
These exhibits are based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Research and Education program under subaward number GNE190-32231. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinion, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these exhibits are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE. The project was also made possible with support from the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network (PA-WAgN).
A special "thank you" to Raqueeb Bey for her belief, enthusiasm, and time dedicated to this project, and to Celeste Taylor for her love, care, and hospitality.
The Female Farmer Photovoice Project
SHARE YOUR STORIES ● SHARE YOUR STRUGGLES ● SHARE YOUR STRENGTHS
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