Play through the Eyes of Children: The use of photovoice with displaced learners in Uganda

• In Event: Participatory Visual Research Methods with Displaced Learners: A Deep Dive on Learning through Play

Proposal

Researchers are increasingly using qualitative participatory visual methods (PVM) to gain a deeper understanding of refugee and displaced children’s experiences, sense of identity, relationships, needs, strengths, and aspirations. Brown et al. (2020) argue that through taking photos, producing digital stories, creating maps, drawing, sculpting, and other visually-based practices, migrant and refugee children can help us understand how they navigate their complex worlds. Though, while there is increasing interest in the use of qualitative PVMs with refugee and displaced children, the number of studies conducted to date remains relatively small (Moskal, 2017). Additionally, while many qualitative PVM studies have focused on topics related to education, public health, and day-to-day lived experiences, very few studies have focused on the topic of play, particularly with refugee and displaced children.

This paper is based on a qualitative study conducted with refugee and host-community children in northern Uganda in the context of the PlayMatters project; a 5-year project funded by the LEGO Foundation aiming to embed play-based learning into education systems for refugee and host-community children in Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. The study employed the specific methodology of photovoice to explore refugee and host-community children’s perceptions and experiences of play in order to inform PlayMatters interventions. Twenty children, ages 7-12 and equal numbers of boys and girls, were selected to participate in the study; ten from a refugee settlement and ten from a neighboring host-community. The children received training and support from a Ugandan professional photographer and visual researcher on how to use cameras and the ethics of photography and were supported by four adult facilitators; two recruited from the refugee community and two recruited from the host-community. The children participated in three photo-taking sessions around their school and community and three subsequent discussion sessions to review their photos, select their favorites, caption them, and determine what kind of story or message they wanted their photos to convey. Finally, the study culminated in a community exhibition event whereby the children presented their photos and messages to their communities. The photos themselves were analyzed, in addition to field notes taken during photo-taking and discussion sessions, using an interpretive engagement framework (Drew & Guillemin, 2014).

While preliminary findings are still being analyzed, this paper focuses on the logistics, feasibility, and importance of using qualitative PVMs with refugee and displaced children. The research design and methods are discussed, as well as challenges and successes of conducting the study. Key arguments in the paper include advocating for the increased use of qualitative PVMs with refugee and displaced communities, the need to be flexible when navigating logistics and planning, and the need for thorough consideration of safety and ethics of study participants.

Author

• Kelsey Dalrymple, University of Wisconsin-Madison