Engaging NEETs through image sharing and photography: evaluating the impact on communication, self-awareness, learning

在英国，有超过一百万的年轻人是啃老族（16-24岁的年轻人，没有接受教育、就业或培训）。由于对社会施加的成本，这个问题已经重新受到政治关注（伦敦，公共政策研究所，2013）。与此同时，由于社交媒体和拍照手机的普及，摄影对年轻人来说已经成为一种特别有吸引力的媒介（50%的Instagram用户年龄在16-29岁之间，Snapchat是青少年中最受欢迎的网络）。拟议的项目将研究如何利用这种兴趣。它将研究如何将在线图像共享和基于摄影的方法应用于neet群体，以增强他们的沟通和自我意识，发展可转移的技能，并最终导致他们重新参与学习和就业。自从社交媒体和数码摄影出现以来，使用摄影作为社会和个人变革的代理人已经复苏（LOEWENTHAL, 2013）。这创造了对新的严格评估的公认需求，而我的研究将致力于提供这种评估。我拥有摄影硕士学位，在那里我研究了摄影的治疗用途。我是一名训练有素的参与式摄影促进者，也是HumanCamera.org的创始人。HumanCamera.org是一家社会企业，经营以摄影为基础的社区项目、展览和讲习班。我最近的两个项目构成了我博士学习的初步研究。第一个是对34名失业、成年、精神疾病患者的重新投入。最后，其中80%的人进入了就业和教育领域，在水石书店举办了一个展览和一本摄影出版物。第二个是由青年学院支持的项目。它着眼于摄影、图片分享和视觉素养如何吸引中学生，促进负责任和有意义的图片分享。在Bramcote学校联盟的短暂干预和学生和老师的询问结束了许多感兴趣的学生。目的：评估摄影和在线图像共享如何增强沟通和自我意识，并最终利用他们对媒体的兴趣使啃老族重新投入学习和就业。-确定如何通过整合在线图像共享来发展现有的基于摄影的方法，从而创造一种新的可复制的方法来重新参与neet。摄影作为社会参与和健康发展的工具的好处是一个公认和研究的机制（LOEWENTHAL, 2013）。我将借鉴现有的关于治疗性摄影的研究——一个没有正式治疗的过程，但参与其中的参与者体验个人洞察力（WEISER, 1999），以及关于参与性艺术及其与改善自我表达和动机的联系的研究（英国艺术委员会，2012）。我将在PhotoVoice（一种参与式摄影行动研究方法，WANG, 1999）和Literacy Through photography（一种鼓励年轻人拍摄他们生活中的场景并将其作为表达催化剂的方法）的相关研究基础上进行研究。我的项目将扩展现有的研究，特别关注这些方法在重新吸引啃老族中的使用，并将提供关于它们在在线环境中的影响和应用的新信息。我的研究将直接有利于需要证明其工作的组织。它将提供一种新的可复制的方法，可以被专注于“啃老族”参与的组织和致力于预防“啃老族”的学校使用。最后，它将提供关于使用在线图片共享来降低啃老族社会总体成本的见解。

There are over a million young people in the UK who are NEET (16-24 year old young people not ineducation, employment or training). There has been renewed political focus on this issue due tothe imposed cost on society (London, Institute for Public Policy Research, 2013). At the same time,photography has become a particularly attractive medium for young people - due to social mediaand the accessibility of camera phones (50% of Instagram users are aged 16-29 and Snapchat is themost popular network amongst teens). The proposed project will examine how this interest can beharnessed. It will look at how online image sharing and photography based methods can beapplied to groups of NEETs in order to enhance their communication and self-awareness, developtransferable skills and ultimately lead to their reengagement with learning and employment. Sincethe advent of social media and digital photography, there has been a resurgence in the use ofphotography as an agent for social and personal change (LOEWENTHAL, 2013). This has created arecognised need for new rigorous evaluation which my research will aim to provide.I hold an MA (distinction) in photography, where I researched the therapeutic use of photography. Iam a trained participatory photography facilitator and founder of HumanCamera.org - a socialenterprise that runs photography based community projects, exhibitions and workshops. My twolatest projects form the preliminary research of my doctoral study. The first was reengagement of34 unemployed, adult, mental health sufferers. It concluded with 80% of them proceeding toemployment and education, an exhibition and a photography publication available at Waterstones.The second was a project supported by the Young Academy. It looked at how photography, imagesharing and visual literacy can engage secondary school students and promote responsible andmeaningful picture sharing. The short intervention at Bramcote School consortium and the studentand teacher enquires concluded with many interested students.Aims- To evaluate how photography and online image sharing can enhance communication andself-awareness and ultimately lead to reengaging NEETs with learning and employment utilising their interest in the medium.- To determine how existing photography based methods can be developed by incorporatingonline image sharing thus creating a new replicable method for the reengagement ofNEETs.ContextThe benefits of photography as a tool for social engagement and development of health andwellbeing is a recognised and examined mechanism (LOEWENTHAL, 2013). I will draw uponexisting research on therapeutic photography - a process where no formal therapy takes place butthe participants engaging in it experience personal insight (WEISER, 1999), as well as studies onparticipatory arts and their link to improved self-expression and motivation (Arts Council England,2012). I will build upon relevant research on PhotoVoice - a participatory photography actionresearch method (WANG, 1999) and research like Literacy Through Photography - a methodologythat encourages young people to photograph scenes from their lives and use them as catalysts forexpression (Documentarystudies.duke.edu, 2011). My project will expand on this existing researchby focusing specifically on the use of these methods in reengaging NEETs and will provide newinformation on their impact and application within an online environment.My research will directly benefit organisations that need to evidence their work. It will provide anew replicable method that can be used by organisations focusing on NEETs engagement andschools that are working on NEETs prevention. Finally, it will provide insight into the use of onlinepicture sharing for the engagement of NEETs reducing the overall costs on society.