PART OF LITERATURE REVIEW-PHOTO-ELICITATION

THIS IS PART OF THE FIRST DRAFT OF LITERATURE REVIEW.

PROOFREADING WILL BE DONE IN THE FINAL DRAFT.



Photo-elicitation.

Due to the nature of the images, the one having polysemic meanings, the images are believed to a good tool for researchers to learn insights on them during the interviews. Even though the polysemic interpretations on images mean there is no a solid fixed interpretation, the character of images, on the other hand, is believed to provide a different glimpse on the images that otherwise verbal interpretation cannot decipher.

Photo-elicitation was first introduced by John Collier, the photographer and researcher, in 1957, Cornell University research team including him employed photo-elicitation to explore how families adjusted in a different ethnic community. The research team found that using photographs refreshed informants’ previous experiences and alleviated their misconception of what they had learned in their research.(Harper, 2002)

When subjects are exposed of the images during photo-elicitation, their interpretations are based on their social circumstances and their educations. Underlying those environments, the images are interpreted according to their way of thinking, previous expriences and the level of their understanding about the images’ surroundings. (Bignante, 2010)

Photo-elicitation awakens interviewee’s feelings and refreshes information on the images. It prompts their reactions and memories and discover their perspectives and cognition(Harper, 2002; Hurworth, 2003; Prosser, 1998). Consequently, due to the power of photo-elicitation ,researcher expects abundant dialogues about interviewees’ surroundings such as their private space and public square- community.(Holliday, 2000).

Compared to an oral interview, the inclusion of photographs can be a tool, as a connector, for both of interviewers and informants to narrow down the distance of them.(Wagner, 2002) In addition, interviewees might feel more comfortable when their interview is conducted with the inclusion of photographs. As Meo(2010) stated that images encourage participants in their dialogue and answer questions an interviewer poses due to the awareness of speaking about photographs. Interviewees might be more relaxed during interview in the presence of photographs where interviewees are taken or things taken they are familiar with. They might more focus on photographs presented in front of them rather than they gaze each other during face-to-face interviews.

Photo- elicitation have numerous advantages as Meo(2010) indicated as follows. they(photo-interviews) elicited longer and more enjoyable interviews; they enhanced the participation and control of interviewees; they offered a closer look at what and whom participants considered important; they reinforced what was already stated in the traditional interview.