‘I want to be one of them’: a study using photovoice to explore the inequities of floating children in China

ABSTRACT

The photovoice process aims to use photographic images taken by persons from deprived backgrounds to enhance community needs assessments, empower participants, and induce change by informing policy makers of community assets and deficits. This article describes a project on the photovoice of floating children’s (internal migrant children’s), implemented through a community programme to highlight education and health inequalities. The data were collected through in-depth interviews that were evaluated through a thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified from the children’s own words: (1) rural habitus (2) cultural capital constraints and (3) social support. This study provides interesting preliminary insights into the lives of floating children, which could help inform the development of interventions and bring about positive educational and environmental changes for this marginalised population.

摘要

拍照发声法的目的是将弱势群体所拍摄的照片进行发声来强化社区需求的评估，从而增强参与者权能，并以此向决策者施加影响而推动社区变化。本文通过描述流动儿童的社区照片发声法项目，显示他们在教育和健康方面所存在的不平等现象。研究者通过深入访谈收集资料，并进行主题分析。通过参与儿童的发声，总结了三个主题:乡村惯习；文化资本约束和社会支持。本研究为流动儿童生活提供了有趣的初步见解，这将为政策制定者制定流动儿童干预措施提供建议，同时为该群体的人口带来积极的教育和环境的改变。

KEYWORDS:

• Floating children
• photovoice
• inequities
• China

關鍵詞:

• 关键词: 流动儿童
• 照片发声法
• 不平等
• 中国

Disclosure statement

The author states that there are no conflicts of interest with regard to this research.

Compliance with ethical standards

The author certifies that there is no conflict of interest with any individual or organisation regarding the present work.

Ethical approval

For this type of study, formal consent is not required. This article does not contain any studies on human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yong Tang

Yong Tang, Associate Professor, Shenzhen University, PhD, Hong Kong University. Her research interests includes floating children, long-term care, education inequality, social work education and etc.