Photovoice Reveals Residents’ Concerns for Air and Water Quality in Industry-Impacted Rural Community

Shelby M. Rimmler, Sarah Shaughnessy, Ellis Tatum, Naeema Muhammad, Shaelyn Hawkins, Alexandra Lightfoot, Sherri White-Williamson and Courtney G. Woods ()
Additional contact information
Shelby M. Rimmler: School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Sarah Shaughnessy: Planning & Development, City of Raleigh, Raleigh, NC 27601, USA
Ellis Tatum: Independent Researcher, Snow Hill, NC 28580, USA
Naeema Muhammad: North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Raleigh, NC 27612, USA
Shaelyn Hawkins: Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Alexandra Lightfoot: Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Sherri White-Williamson: Environmental Justice Community Action Network, Clinton, NC 28328, USA
Courtney G. Woods: Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: Rural communities of color in the southeastern U.S. experience a high burden of environmental hazards from concentrated industry placement. Community-engaged research and qualitative methods can improve our understanding of meaning-making in a community impacted by polluting facilities. This study applies the photovoice method to assess how a predominantly African American community in rural North Carolina, impacted by a landfill and confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), perceives their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Two research questions were developed with community-based partners: (a) How do environmental health concerns in this community influence residents’ perceptions of their HRQoL? and (b) How do community and county factors facilitate or inhibit community organizing around these concerns? Three photo assignment sessions were held to engage participants in discussions related to the research questions. Researchers analyzed discussion audio recordings and identified themes related to concerns about the following issues: health and quality of life, the landfill industry’s influence on community cohesion and self-determination, and actions to address environmental injustice in Sampson County. Photovoice benefits community-engaged researchers by providing a process for assessing the research interests of a community. Photovoice also serves community organizers by providing residents with a structured way to discuss their lived experiences and strategize ways to reduce hazard exposure.

Keywords: landfill; water quality; CBPR; environmental justice; rural health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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