Picturing broader socioeconomic conditions: introducing demographic data to participatory photo mapping in order to help youth understand community stratification

Shaded polygons based on quantitative demographic indicators can represent place-based characteristics that influence perceptions of social phenomena. However, social scientists have struggled to integrate demographic methods with qualitative means of participatory research meaningfully. This is especially true in work with children, where concrete depictions of broader socioeconomic conditions can be challenging yet must be balanced with their research contributions. In working with this population, we encourage the introduction of demographic community indicators when integrating Photovoice (participant-generated imagery) and qualitative GIS methods. This integration simplifies an analytical challenge and allows youth to balance perspectives and quantify how social and economic features of place affect their perceptions of social phenomena. While the broader literature has focused on one-level designs to capture participant narratives and the overlapping of spatial data, integrating these concepts with youth researchers has not been addressed. As a methodological advancement in children’s research, we believe spatial participant-generated imagery (SPGI) improves upon participatory visual research methods by depicting how participant perceptions are situated in a community context. Through this research method, participants are empowered to triangulate their lived experiences with mixed-methods research. We illustrate this process through a case study of community belonging by youth.