Using Photovoice Methodology to Illuminate the Experiences of LGBTQ Former Foster Youth

Moshoula Capous‐Desyllas · Sarah E. Mountz

56 citations0/0 files storedChild & Youth Services

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Child Welfare and Adoption LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy Participatory Visual Research Methods

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or queer (LGBTQ) identified youth are overrepresented in the Los Angeles County foster care system, and the majority are also youth of color. Many experience extreme discrimination, violence, and oppression related to their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression before, during, and after foster care. There is limited research regarding LGBTQ-identified youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Theoretically informed by intersectionality, queer, and feminist theories, the purpose of this community-based research study was to merge narrative approaches with photovoice methodology to better understand the aging-out experiences of 18 diverse LGBTQ youth in foster care. In-depth qualitative interviews with former foster youth between the ages of 18 and 26 provided participants with the opportunity to narrate their histories and pathways into the foster care system. Photovoice methodology invited youth to visually represent their experiences before, during, and after foster care. This article presents the findings from the photovoice portion of the project. An individual and cross-case photovoice analysis of all participants’ photos revealed the following prevalent themes: (1) experiences of foster placement history and transitioning out of care; (2) LGBTQ identity and coming out: moving from shame and stigma to empowerment and pride; (3) overcoming barriers in life related to mental health and substance abuse; and (4) the value of education as a source of resilience. This article concludes with recommendations for practice, policy, and research with LGBTQ former foster youth, informed by the narratives and visual voices of the research participants themselves.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 56 citations exist upstream.

References

1991Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color 1997Photovoice: Concept, Methodology, and Use for Participatory Needs Assessment 2005Consensual qualitative research: An update.2004Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis 2002Anti-Oppressive Social Work Theory and Practice 2005Art practice as research: inquiry in the visual arts 2003New Directions in Action Research 2000Aesthetics, Politics, and Educational Inquiry: Essays and Examples

Cited by

2019Predictors and Mental Health Benefits of Chosen Name Use Among Transgender Youth 2019Exploring the families of origin of LGBTQ former foster youth and their trajectories throughout care 2021What is known about the LGBTQ perspective in child welfare services: A scoping review 2019“Ask Me What Want”: Community-based participatory research to explore transition-age foster Youth’s use of support services 2022Resilience among LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care: A scoping review

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.