The power of wandering stories: Perspectives from participatory photovoice projects

The article examines the significance of storytelling in two participatory photovoice projects involving individuals experiencing homelessness and parents engaged in the child protection system. The study is grounded in the assumption that participatory photovoice projects create spaces in which an iterative storytelling process unfolds, metaphorically described by the authors as “wandering stories.” The analysis explores the meanings attributed to storytelling within both group and public contexts. Drawing on secondary data analysis and a thematic approach, the study analyses participants’ reflections to illuminate the emotional, relational, and political force of the stories they told. The findings show that sharing stories in group settings fostered trust, self-reflection, and collective identification, creating a “social mirror” through which participants could recognise similarities in their experiences and develop a sense of community. In public settings, storytelling facilitated critical civic dialogue, challenged institutional practices and dominant narratives surrounding homelessness and parenthood, and enabled participants to bear witness on behalf of others facing similar challenges. Public storytelling also opened pathways to new social roles, such as representatives or experts by experience, who can support the renegotiation of identity and foster social recognition.