Struggling to see through the eyes of youth: On failure and (un)certainty in a photovoice project

The authors problematize the notion that photovoice methodology is always an empowering experience for participants who find their “voice”, and argue that while it may potentially be an effective tool of anti-oppressive methodologies, photovoice’s liberatory potential is far from inherent. This chapter argues that researchers committed to anti-oppressive research must live with/in the uncomfortable spaces generated by the irreconcilability and impossibilities that critical reflections raise. The authors reflect on their work with/in a case study of an arts-centered photovoice project conducted with Mexican American tweens in South Phoenix, and examine issues of power that arose. Taking up feminist explications of “failure”, this chapter addresses how the authors struggled in their attempts to enact a critical, participatory project, as they adopt a reflexivity of discomfort.