A Preliminary Exploration on Methodology of Image-Based Narrative

Abstract

In the realms of community and social work, photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) is widely recognized as a participatory approach in action research, designed to empower individuals and specific groups by enabling them to articulate their experiences. This study adapts photovoice methods to conduct image-based narrative groups with depressed adolescents, utilizing the social practice process as research material to explore the core function of narrative in transforming depression. The findings indicate that the concept of "folds interpretation" effectively elucidates the core function of image narratives. Cristal Huang (2010) integrates Paul Ricoeur's theory of time and narrative with Gilles Deleuze's concept of folds, offering an alternative framework for image research. In this framework, images are perceived as unfolding folds, where every object within an image can be employed by the protagonist to represent and overlap with their life and current circumstances. Through this process, the protagonist unfolds "imaginary" internal folds using time and narrative. Images are thus seen as objects with folds and traces, and each narrator reveals their history and memories through their narrative. This theoretical approach intertwines time, narrative, and life, providing a platform for rewriting the future. It aligns with Fred Newman's (1991) critical perspective that "Nothing is lost here in history. All kinds of things are lost in society, but nothing is lost in history," and the notion that "history cures depression." Therefore, this study posits that image-based narrative in therapeutic work can be situated within an interpretive, social therapeutic, and praxis-oriented methodology, distinct from the photovoice approach.



Author Information
Cheng-Pin Lai, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
Kuan-I Li, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
Shih-Ming Chen, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan

Paper Information
Conference: ACSS2024
Stream: Research Methodologies

This paper is part of the ACSS2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Lai C., Li K., & Chen S. (2024) A Preliminary Exploration on Methodology of Image-Based Narrative ISSN: 2186-2303 – The Asian Conference on the Social Sciences 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 813-817) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-2303.2024.69
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-2303.2024.69


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Posted by James Alexander Gordon