Abstract:

This paper discusses the development and application of The FotoDialogo© Method, a research and educational tool that merges arts and social inquiry to foster dialogue among culturally diverse groups. By examining individuals’ perceptions of social reality through pictures and storytelling, this method facilitates meaningful exchanges within diverse and multicultural communities. The FotoDialogo© Method begins with interviews and conversations to uncover significant themes. Based on these themes, researchers prepare a series of pictures to initiate dialogues, inspire storytelling, and analyze the connections between participants' experiences and their sociocultural contexts. The pictures were inspired by real-life stories from inner-city women of color, with the name "FotoDialogo" suggested by a participant who likened the process to creating a "fotonovela" of their lives. A pilot study was conducted within a community-based organization (CBO) in Massachusetts that provides education, health promotion, and empowerment programs to the Latinx community. The study aimed to explore the potential benefits of using pictures and storytelling to examine women’s perceptions of social reality, enabling traditionally disadvantaged women to voice their concerns and share relevant issues. Through this process, low-income Hispanic women expressed their concerns about the disabling effects of social, cultural, and economic marginalization.

The study had several goals:
(1) developing and testing a model of inquiry and education that promotes dialogue and self-discovery;
(2) fostering dialogue skills and reflective thinking among disadvantaged populations;
(3) promoting effective intergroup communication between health and human service providers and their clients; and
(4) developing guidelines for research and training materials that encourage effective intergroup communication and empowerment of traditionally disadvantaged groups.

The research methodology is grounded in qualitative and participatory research principles, drawing from Paulo Freire's Thematic Investigation Model and Henry Murray's Thematic Apperception Test. By combining Freire’s dialogical approach with Murray’s projective techniques, the FotoDialogo© Method uses pictures and storytelling to engage participants in self-examination and analysis of their existential situations. Participants create life-based photo-literature, reflecting on their past and present actions, and engage in dialogue to raise awareness of their circumstances, understand cultural meanings, and potentially alter them. The FotoDialogo© Method serves multiple educational and research purposes, including evoking self-expression, sharing life experiences, identifying problems, and helping participants overcome them. It also helps create social support groups for people who share common life situations related to gender, language, ethnicity, and social class. By unveiling personal histories and fostering an atmosphere for sharing collective experiences, the method promotes self-acceptance, self-transformation, and the empowerment to break silence. The FotoDialogo© Method offers a powerful tool for meaningful dialogue with adult learners, capturing and portraying their life stories while fostering an environment conducive to sharing collective experiences and insights for community-based educators on recording and portraying adult learners’ lifelines.

Keywords:

Research methods, adult education, community development, arts-based research, social reality, dialogical education, gender and inclusion.