The Interdisciplinary Center for the study of Global Change is hosting the brown bag Series entitled "Pedagogy of Violence: Picturing the Context for Mental Health in Guatemala City" on Friday, November 8 at 2:00pm in 537 Heller Hall. It will be presented by Chantal Figueroa.
Abstract: In 2011, Guatemala City was deemed the most dangerous city for women in the world. In addition, Ladinas living in urban spaces are the most affected by violence and occurrences of mental illness. As part of a larger visual ethnography on mental health in "post-conflict" Guatemala City, photovoice was utilized to capture everyday life and the ways in which Ladina women experience and define their mental health. This presentation will focus on the 600 pictures taken by a group of seven Ladina women living in urban settlements of Guatemala City that participated in this photovoice project. I argue that beyond a methodology used to bring voice and emancipation to a group of people, photovoice became a process of healing by evidencing the ways violence teaches women how to live their lives. Thus, I discuss how picturing the context for mental health allows a pedagogy of violence to be developed.
