Photonovels Through Critical Pedagogy

The purpose of this research was to study how the
process of creating and using a participatory
photonovel can empower ESL speaking immigrant women
and act as a tool to educate them about a health
topic. Conducted at the Intercultural
Association of Greater Victoria, under a critical
ethnographic paradigm, this study involved five ESL
speaking immigrant women from various cultural,
national and linguistic backgrounds with different
degrees of fluency in English. The women named
nutrition and exercise as being their most pressing
health concern upon migration to Canada. The women
then created a participatory photonovel entitled From
Junk Food to Healthy Eating:Tanya s Journey to a
Better Life. The author found that the photonovel was
an effective and culturally relevant health literacy
tool to use with this population. Results also
illustrated that the participatory process created
community and helped the women raise their
consciousness about nutrition in Canada. This study
was awarded a Canadian Population and Public Health
Masters Research Award and was shortlisted for the
Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada
Masters Research Award.

Autorentext
Laura Nimmon is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia where she works towards improving the health literacy levels of marginalized groups. Her doctoral research is supervised by Dr. Victoria Purcell-Gates. To post your photonovel go to www.photonovela.com

Klappentext
The purpose of this research was to study how the process of creating and using a participatory photonovel can empower ESL speaking immigrant women and act as a tool to educate them about a health topic. Conducted at the Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria, under a critical ethnographic paradigm, this study involved five ESL speaking immigrant women from various cultural, national and linguistic backgrounds with different degrees of fluency in English. The women named nutrition and exercise as being their most pressing health concern upon migration to Canada. The women then created a participatory photonovel entitled From Junk Food to Healthy Eating:Tanya's Journey to a Better Life. The author found that the photonovel was an effective and culturally relevant health literacy tool to use with this population. Results also illustrated that the participatory process created community and helped the women raise their consciousness about nutrition in Canada. This study was awarded a Canadian Population and Public Health Masters Research Award and was shortlisted for the Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada Masters Research Award.