Embracing the everyday: reflections on using video and photography in health research

Recent developments in digital media hardware and software
offer new opportunities for research and community
development. Participatory video and photography have a
unique potential in helping researchers and communities to
explore different aspects of everyday life. While the use of
digital cameras, camcorders and mobile phones is commonplace
in economically advantaged countries these technologies are not
so readily available poorer countries. In this paper we report on
our experiences of using video and photography in our work
with semi nomadic herder communities living in the remote
mountain villages of Tolok and Kokjar, Kyrgyzstan. This paper
outlines some of the ways that digital media technologies were
received and used by the villagers and offers an insight into how
communications technologies are beginning to impact upon
traditional herder lifestyles in these remote communities.

Visible voices, shared worlds: using digital video and photography in pursuit of a better life.

Visible Voice projects use participatory video and
photography techniques to explore experiences and
perceptions of everyday life, health and well being. The
projects aim to engage participants in collaborative
construction and public exhibition of videos and
photographic galleries providing a ‘visible voice’ with which
to articulate community concerns, views and interests.
Beginning with an outline of the context of Visible Voice
projects in Kyrgyzstan and Brazil we situate our research
within a Freirean, constructivist approach to research and
community development. We describe the Visible Voice
process and examine the social interactions within and
between the participant groups and their communities in
response to the project activities. We conclude by reviewing
how, following the initial workshops, participants continue to
make use of visual materials, engaging a from of ‘visual
activism’ in pursuit of a better life.

Exploring the Display in Disaster Recovery

OzCHI 2008, cairns Australia-Co-authored with Connor Graham and Mark Rouncefield, University of Lancaster.

This paper considers how people close to the earthquake in
Sichuan in May this year engaged with different kinds of
displays immediately afterwards – their home computer, mobile
phones, public noticeboards, the television. We present
examples of such interaction and describe instances of content
presented on them. We then consider the potential role of and
design issues with displays in the longer term in the context of
one earthquake-affected community.

Outputs 2008- 2009

2009 Digest of The Centre for Health Research and Practice Development

Summary of abstracts and public outputs between September 2009- September 2010