Moya Eva Margarita, Chavez-Baray Silvia M, Loweree Jacqueline, Mattera Brian, Martinez Nahomi
Department of Social Work, College of Health Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA.
School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Front Public Health. 2017 May 19;5:113. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00113. eCollection 2017.
Homelessness is a social, economic, and political crisis in the United States. In particular, the US-Mexico Border region has seen a surge of homelessness, specifically among veterans, women victims of intimate partner violence, and immigrants. In 2014, 12 persons in El Paso, TX, with experience of being homeless used the photovoice methodology to participate in a project titled, "The Voices and Images of the Residents of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless: A Visual Project on the Identity and Challenges Homeless Adults Face on the Border Region." The project was led by faculty from the Department of Social Work and facilitated by graduate students from the Departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. In partnership with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a community-based organization, a gallery of photographs with respective narratives was produced along with a video documentary. The participants identified four themes: broken systems, invisibility, opportunities and what works, and growth and determination. These themes represent participants' life experiences with homelessness and their aspirations. In addition to the photo gallery, participants supported the development of a Call to Action asking the community, policy, and decision makers to commit to changing the current social, economic, and political conditions affecting individuals experiencing homelessness. The gallery, Call to Action, and overall participant experiences with photovoice were shared during local, regional, and national conferences and events, including three State of the Homeless Conferences led by the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in partnership with the university.
无家可归是美国面临的社会、经济和政治危机。特别是美墨边境地区，无家可归者激增，退伍军人、亲密伴侣暴力的女性受害者和移民中尤其如此。2014年，得克萨斯州埃尔帕索市的12名有过无家可归经历的人采用照片发声法参与了一个名为“无家可归者机会中心居民的声音与影像：边境地区无家可归成年人面临的身份认同与挑战的视觉项目”。该项目由社会工作系的教师牵头，得克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校社会工作系、社会学系和人类学系的研究生提供协助。与社区组织无家可归者机会中心合作，制作了一个配有各自说明文字的照片集以及一部视频纪录片。参与者确定了四个主题：破碎的系统、被忽视、机会与可行之事，以及成长与决心。这些主题代表了参与者无家可归的生活经历及其愿望。除了照片集，参与者还支持制定一份行动呼吁书，要求社区、政策制定者和决策者致力于改变影响无家可归者的当前社会、经济和政治状况。照片集、行动呼吁书以及参与者运用照片发声法的整体经历在地方、区域和全国性会议及活动上进行了分享，包括由无家可归者机会中心与该大学合作主办的三次无家可归者状况会议。
