Résumé
Si les chercheur·euse·s en sciences sociales font de multiples usages de la photographie à toutes les étapes des protocoles de recherche, tantôt comme images-objets à analyser, tantôt comme outils pour réaliser la recherche, l’utilisation des images comme outil de la recherche est encore peu documentée. L’article que nous proposons ici vise à y contribuer en analysant les apports et les limites de l’entretien par photo-elicitation pour une sociologie « par l’image » des parcours de vie de personnes ayant des in/capacités physiques « sévères ». Au cours de l’enquête, face aux situations de handicap que représentaient les entretiens classiques en face-à-face pour certain·e·s participant·e·s, nous avons expérimenté des entretiens par photo-elicitation, « hybridés » avec la méthode Photovoice. Ce dispositif méthodologique a reposé sur la constitution de corpus de photographies personnelles par les interviewé·e·s. Ces corpus sont ensuite devenus le support visuel pour l’entretien. Les résultats de cette expérimentation soulignent les aspects les plus heuristiques de l’utilisation des « photographies de famille » dans l’étude des parcours de vie.
While social scientists use photographs in a variety of ways at all stages of research protocols—sometimes as images-objects to be analyzed, sometimes as tools for conducting research—the use of images as a research tool is still not well documented. The present article aims to contribute to this methodological literature by analyzing the strengths and limitations of photo-elicitation interviews, within an “image-based” sociological study of the life courses of people with “severe” physical dis/abilities. We experienced that traditional face-to-face interviews were disabling for some participants. To address this issue, we developed a photo-elicitation interviewing technique, “hybridized” with the Photovoice method. The interview involved the constitution of a corpus of personal photographs by the participant himself·herself. The corpus of photos then serves as the visual support for the interview. The results of this methodological experimentation highlight the most heuristic aspects of the use of « family photos » in the life-course studies.
While social scientists use photographs in a variety of ways at all stages of research protocols—sometimes as images-objects to be analyzed, sometimes as tools for conducting research—the use of images as a research tool is still not well documented. The present article aims to contribute to this methodological literature by analyzing the strengths and limitations of photo-elicitation interviews, within an “image-based” sociological study of the life courses of people with “severe” physical dis/abilities. We experienced that traditional face-to-face interviews were disabling for some participants. To address this issue, we developed a photo-elicitation interviewing technique, “hybridized” with the Photovoice method. The interview involved the constitution of a corpus of personal photographs by the participant himself·herself. The corpus of photos then serves as the visual support for the interview. The results of this methodological experimentation highlight the most heuristic aspects of the use of « family photos » in the life-course studies.