Talking Pictures: Using Photographs and Social Media to Envision Greater Neighborhood Cohesion

Background/Purpose

Urban neighborhoods are a vital site for determining social interactions and for building social capital. They have been important in forming group identity, fostering civic engagement, and providing access to economic opportunities. Because most studies of neighborhoods are investigator driven, much of what we know today about urban neighborhoods and their residents is shaped by the interests and queries of academicians. However, through academic-community partnerships with neighborhoods, social work academics can better understand issues and concerns important to neighborhoods. With this project, we engaged residents of an historic neighborhood in a discourse about neighborhood cohesion and collective action to address the question how do neighborhood residents understand their capacity to work for the collective good of their neighborhood?

Methods

This project examined social capital and collective action through Photovoice conducted with a convenience-sample of 15 adult participants who lived in an historic urban neighborhood. We asked how residents identify and discuss neighborhood issues, and how and to what extent they work together to address those issues. Over 6 months in 2015 in response to monthly prompts, residents captured 115 digital images of neighborhood life with smartphones and uploaded images with descriptive captions and blogs to social media. Analyses of data is twofold. Three sessions with residents were held to code themes collaboratively from photographs and blogs. Participants reached a consensus on which photographs most adequately represented themes during reflection meetings. The PIs conducted a content analysis on a case-by-case basis then drew comparisons across all photographs and blogs to generate main themes and sub-themes. We also assessed the use of social media as a platform to generate neighborhood-level discourse.

Results

Three main themes arose: old v. new; neighboring; and building a shared collective identity. Residents identified struggles associated with redeveloping a neighborhood, ensuring long-time and lower income residents are not displaced while redeveloping housing stock and attracting new residents. Old v. new related to changing social norms with the arrival of new residents who seek to improve the neighborhood while some longtime residents feel their normal way of life is threatened. The neighborhood is through difficult issues. As the neighborhood redevelops, residents seek to shape an identity internally for social control and externally to attract investment. Residents reported that using social media created a stronger researcher-community relationship, increased awareness of neighborhood-level issues, and encouraged others to discuss issues.

Implications/Conclusions

Neighborhood residents in this study increased their understanding about and their awareness of issues within the neighborhood. Photovoice allowed residents to see their neighborhood through others’ eyes, to be critical of external negative labels, to have open conversation, and to raise questions about a changing neighborhood narrative. It assisted in identifying issues neighborhood leaders would target as they lead comprehensive redevelopment efforts. Using social media increased connection between researchers and residents, and strengthened the academic-community partnership through building trust. This study demonstrates a strategy where social media can be effective in social work research and practice, particularly CBPR.