Faith and Photography
Using Auto-Photography in Eliciting Perceptions of Religious Identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/firn.v9i2.14821Keywords:
Auto-photography, Muslims, British, Islam, Qualitative Methods, Photography, ReligionAbstract
This article explores the usage of the innovative method of auto photography in eliciting perceptions of religious identity. The article explores auto-photography as a research tool assisting in understanding religious identity and identification. Using static images in auto-photography triggers the respondents in expressing their connection to their faith. These images have a potential to generate further discussion on the subject matter of faith, religiousness and belief. Auto-photography is a helpful instrument in bridging spiritual feelings/thoughts and religiously oriented actions. It encourages respondents to express their feelings regarding faith after exploring the images taken using a camera. This article debates the use of auto photography through the case study of young Muslims in Britain. Based on this research project, the auto-photography method will be analysed as a research tool, revealing its usefulness in exploring faith matters and the challenges of using this method.
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References
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Smith, E., B. Gidlow and G. Steel. 2012. “Engaging Adolescent Participants in Academic Research: The Use of Photo-Elicitation Interviews to Evaluate School-based Outdoor Education Programmes,” Qualitative Research, 12, 367–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468794112443473
Ziller, R. 1990. Photographing the Self: Methods for Observing the Personal Orientations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Ziller, R., and D. Lewis. 1981. “Orientations: Self, Social, and Environmental Perception through Auto-Photography,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 7, 338–43. http://.doi.org/10.1177/014616728172025
Banks, M. 2001. Visual Methods in Social Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Castonguay, G., and S. Jutras. 2009. “Children’s Appreciation of Outdoor Places in a Poor Neighbourhood,” Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29.1, 635–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.05.002
Clay, M. 1993. An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Collier, J., and M. Collier. 1986. Visual Anthropology: Photography as a Research Method. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press.
Combs, J., and R. Ziller. 1977. “Photographic Self-Concepts of Counselees,” Journal of Counselling Psychology, 24, 452–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.24.5.452
Darbyshire, P., C. MacDougall and W. Schiller. 2005. “Multiple Methods in Qualitative Research with Children: More Insight or Just More?,” Qualitative Research, 5.4, 417–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468794105056921
Dean, C. 2007. “Young Travellers and the Children’s Fund: Some Practical Notes on an Experimental Image-based Research Project,” Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7.1, 16–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-3802.2007.00077.x
Denzin, N., and Y. Lincoln, eds. 2000. Handbook of Qualitative Research. London and Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Dollinger, S. 2001. “Religious Identity: An Autophotographic Study,” International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 11.2, 71–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15327582IJPR1102_01
Dunlop, S. 2008. Visualising Hope: Exploring the Spirituality of Young People in Central and Eastern Europe. Cambridge: YTC Press.
Dunlop, S., and P. Richter. 2010. “Visual Methods,” in S. Collins-Mayo and P. Dandelion, eds, Religion and Youth. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, 209–16.
Geaves, R. 2007. Twenty Years of Fieldwork: Reflections on Reflexivity in the Study of British Muslims. Chester: Chester Academic Press.
Gilliat-Ray, S. 2010. Muslims in Britain: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511780233
Gubrium, J., and J. Holstein. 2001. Handbook of Interview Research: Context and Method. Thousand Oaks: Sage. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412973588
Harper, D. 1986. “Meaning and Work: A Study in Photo Elicitation,” Current Sociology, 34.3, 24–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001139286034003006
—2002. “Talking about Pictures: A Case for Photo Elicitation,” Visual Studies, 17.1, 13–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14725860220137345
Hopkins, P., and R. Gale. 2009. Muslims in Britain: Race, Place and Identities. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9780748625871.001.0001
Jacobson, J. 1998. Islam in Transition: Religion and Identity among British Pakistani Youth. London and New York: Routledge.
Joseph, L. 2002. “Facilitating Word Recognition and Spelling Using Word Boxes and Word Sort Phonic Procedures,” School Psychology Review, 31.1, 122–29.
Kabir, N. 2012. Young British Muslims: Identity, Culture, Politics and the Media. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Mitchell, H., R. Kearns and D. Collins. 2006. “Nuances of Neighbourhood: Children’s Perceptions of the Space between Home and School in Auckland, New Zealand,” Geoforum, 38.4, 614–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2006.11.012
Noland, C. 2006. “Auto-Photography as Research Practice: Identity and Self-Esteem Research,” Journal of Research Practice, 2.1.
Pearmain, R. 2007. “Evocative Cues and Presence: Relational Consciousness within Qualitative Research,” International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 12.1, 75–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13644360701266176
Samad, Y. 1998. “Imagining a British Muslim Identification,” in S. Vertovec and A. Rogers, eds, Muslim European Youth: Reproducing Ethnicity, Religion, Culture. Aldershot: Ashgate, 59–76.
Smith, E., B. Gidlow and G. Steel. 2012. “Engaging Adolescent Participants in Academic Research: The Use of Photo-Elicitation Interviews to Evaluate School-based Outdoor Education Programmes,” Qualitative Research, 12, 367–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468794112443473
Ziller, R. 1990. Photographing the Self: Methods for Observing the Personal Orientations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Ziller, R., and D. Lewis. 1981. “Orientations: Self, Social, and Environmental Perception through Auto-Photography,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 7, 338–43. http://.doi.org/10.1177/014616728172025
Published
2015-08-03
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Mustafa, A. (2015). Faith and Photography: Using Auto-Photography in Eliciting Perceptions of Religious Identity. Fieldwork in Religion, 9(2), 166-181. https://doi.org/10.1558/firn.v9i2.14821
