A Photograph as Material for Analysis and as a Creative Act. Visual Methods in Social Studies - Reflections and Dilemmas

Abstract

The paper focuses on the issues of implementing visual methods in social sciences. The following discussion consists of three fundamental parts. The introduction contains a description of theoretical and methodological dilemmas characteristic of the implementation of visual data, namely primarily photographic material, in social studies. The subsequent part is a characterization of the author’s research strategy, oriented towards organizing the fieldwork of probation officers using the photographic walk method. The strategy was inspired by the tenets of visual grounded theory. In the final part, the authors present selected conclusions associated with the possibilities and limitations of the developed research strategy. Key issues included in the final section of the paper refer to questions connected with plasticity of narration and image, the role of the researcher as creator and interpreter of photographs, and the process of objectification of empirical material. Using the potential of the photographic walk to fulfil the objective, the authors implemented visual and mobile methods. Collected empirical data includes nine transcripts of long conversations, based on an informal disposition card, a set of 1,500 photographs taken during the walks, as well as field notes. The paper presents reflections, dilemmas, difficulties and observations connected with the implementation of the selected strategy, which showed multidimensionality of conducted studies at the stage of development, organization, analysis and construction of theoretical statements.