New Horizons in Aging Research: Qualitative Approaches to Understanding Dementia

This workshop will train participants in phenomenology and photovoice, qualitative methods that are underused in social work but widely employed in other social sciences, including nursing, sociology and anthropology. The workshop will address the methods' theoretical issues and techniques, while contextualizing them in the broader research spectrum. Ways to modify the approaches to fit the specific needs of people with late-life dementia will be discussed. By increasing their methodological fluency, and adding aging-related content to their knowledge base, participants will be better prepared to meet the increasing needs of a growing and vulnerable population. Phenomenology is both a philosophy and a methodology that seeks to deepen understanding of meaning-making processes. Philosophically, phenomenology situates meaning-making as integral to the human experience. As a research method, it offers an approach to understanding the everyday lived experience of individual meaning making, rather than attempting to develop broad theory. In addition, because it encourages the use of observable data, such as interaction and non-verbal communication, to complement interviews, phenomenology is a well-established approach in research on dementia, which often affects speech ability. As a result, phenomenology data usually consists of a combination of interviews, participant observation and documents. Data collection, the three most prominent approaches to data analysis, and research trustworthiness will be emphasized in the workshop. Photovoice is a qualitative research method that invites participants to take photographs and discuss their meaning as a way to empower the participants, encourage them to identify their own strengths and resources, and initiate community change. Diminishing verbal capacities often make it challenging for people with dementia to convey their subjective experiences in socially agreed upon ways. The central assumption underlying photovoice is that photographs can facilitate the exploration of complex, elusive, and hard to define concepts, and offer the opportunity to inspire dialogue in ways that spoken language often cannot. A photovoice project commonly progresses through several interrelated phases. Initially, participants portray relevant aspects of their lives using photography. They then choose a subset of their photographs to share with others. Next, participants explore in interactive group discussions the issues depicted in the photographs and the relevance of these issues to their lives. Lastly, they collaboratively share their insights with policy-makers and the community at large through public discussions and/or with the help of photo exhibitions. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to practice formulating research projects, articulating interview questions, and analyzing data. In addition, we will explore how to present findings. Strengths and weaknesses of phenomenology and photovoice in relation to increasing knowledge of important aging issues, and connecting social work research with relevant trends in other disciplines, will be evaluated. Phenomenology and photovoice provide access to the experiences of those affected by dementia in ways that traditional qualitative and quantitative research methods do not. In doing so, the methods further engage vulnerable populations in the knowledge-building process. Ultimately, this workshop can contribute to increasing wellbeing for those affected by dementia.