Community health promotion and disaster recovery: a PhotoVoice project in Comerío, Puerto Rico

• Published in: Arts & health 2024-12, p.1-18
• Main Authors: Padilla, Mark, Olah, Samuel, Matiz, Armando, Soliván-Roig, Janice, Bravo González, Josely, Frau Canabal, José, Rodríguez Torrado, María J, Rivera Méndez, Emmanuel, Ganapati, N Emel, Chandrasekhar, Divya, García, Ivis, Olshansky, Robert B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1753-3015; 1753-3023; 1753-3023
• DOI: 10.1080/17533015.2024.2445030

PhotoVoice - a series of workshops involving participatory photography and narrative-building - was employed in the rural town of Comerío, Puerto Rico (PR) to describe disaster recovery in a rural setting and foster policy dialogue. Using PhotoVoice workshops and ethnographic observations, the project describes how women affiliated with a local community-based organization described the priorities for disaster recovery in visual images and narratives. We draw analytically upon theories of intersectionality and coloniality to describe socio-structural and community factors that shape community health in the context of ongoing disasters. Analysis indicated that gender and generational differences are key intersecting factors that mediate adaptation to disasters in this setting. The project, which has already shown impacts on local policy decisions, demonstrates the possibilities of using PhotoVoice to foster community-driven crisis responses and policy dialogue that can shape health promotion and disaster recovery responses in PR and elsewhere.