Participatory video as radical incrementalism: exploring the right to love among adults with developmental disabilities
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2012
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Abstract
This research project involved working collaboratively with a disability advocacy group on an action research project aimed at exploring participatory video as a form of radical incrementalism through three interrelated areas: method, voice, and advocacy. The research involved 12 participants (co-filmmakers) co-creating a series of films about the dimensions of sexual rights as experienced and understood by people with developmental disabilities. The participants subsequently uploaded their videos onto digital platforms, and took on the roles of community educators and incorporated their videos into their larger advocacy campaign. The impact of the research process was documented with multiple data that were analyzed using an approach that drew on critical disability theory and Freirean pedagogy. Through this collaborative method evolved seven stages of production that integrated distribution as core phase of the research process. Findings suggested that a complex interplay between barriers and supports play a critical role in sexual rights, sexual health, and healthy sexuality. In the area of self-advocacy, themes suggested that the process also contributed to: a) disability pride, b) building community bridges, and c) collaborative social action. These findings were critically examined with respect to participatory video as a form of radical incrementalism. Findings suggested that the integration of distribution afforded a more comprehensive understanding of potential strengths, tensions, and ethical considerations of multi-media technologies in advocacy efforts in the context of community development and adult learning practices. Further, it provided insight into the dimensions of disability and sexual rights from the perspective of persons with developmental disabilities living in Western Canada. Suggestions for future research include attention to the authorship/ownership issues in participatory video projects, and exploring meaningful ways of addressing potential tensions of distribution in research contexts.
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Bibliography: p. 233-263
Includes copy of ethics approval. Original copy with original Partial Copyright Licence.
Includes copy of ethics approval. Original copy with original Partial Copyright Licence.
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Citation
Sitter, K. (2012). Participatory video as radical incrementalism: exploring the right to love among adults with developmental disabilities (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/4980