Photography in social work research: Using visual image to humanize findings

The purpose of this article is to present the use of photography as a supplement to a classic grounded theory research study with lesbian women regarding their experience of identity, culture, and oppression. Photography was integrated into the grounded theory methodology to visually express the theoretical codes that emerged from the grounded theory of liberated identity. Photographs are presented with coded substages and participant in vivo codes, including explanations of the visual representation in the photographs. The findings, the basic social process substage photographs, were guided by the participants to best convey visual meaning of their experience. The photographic images reveal how the use of photography, in concert with Glaserian grounded theory, exemplified experience, humanity, and meaning in this specific research study, and thus the complementary visual image can edify the significance in the humanness and affectivity of research participants.