Before this class I had never heard about photovoice and the idea of it seemed fun, and fairly easy. Answering the question “what is education?” with pictures taken on a disposable camera proved to be more difficult than I thought it would be. Here are some of the pictures I took in my attempt to define education.

This image captures my stereotypical view of what education is: studying, reading, writing and researching. Though it is all of those things, it is also a lot more and can look a lot differently. I have become aware of this Western idea of education and how Western societies often attempt to force their ways upon others. I hadn’t thought of this much before, but this class has made me aware of my bias to Western education. Realizing that my view of education is highly shaped by my experiences in the Western education system has allowed me to be careful when thinking about other’s education systems; it has widened my perspective.

This is my roommate’s naked cat, also known as “Chicken.” People’s first reaction to him is usually, “Eww” or, “What is that thing, it is SO ugly!” On the outside he looks different, but when it comes down to it he’s just like any other cat. He is happy cat, but because he looks different people hardly see him as a cat. People often stop outside of our house and take pictures if he’s sitting in the window, and I think in the same way this is how we look at education systems that are different from ours. People love to scrutinize and pinpoint all the things that are wrong with things that are different. I think we often forget to stop to think that maybe they like the system they have or maybe it works for them.

I got this idea after watching the documentary “Schooling The World.” I’m glad we watched this film because it made me realize that education can be different, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. As one of the elders in the film pointed out, her grandchildren that go to the university know nothing; this is because to her education looks like knowing how to grow your own food, make your own clothes, and know your own cultural practices [1].

This photo was my attempt at showing education as empowerment, one of the first words that comes to my mind when I try and define education. Here is a quote that I think captures what I mean by this fairly well:

“Education is described as an empowerment right with a multiplying effect in the sense that the enjoyment of a number of other rights, such as freedom of information and the right to vote, depends on a minimum level of education. […] Education is of cardinal importance for meaningful human existence; it enables a person to fully participate and function in society. It allows individuals to develop to whole and mature personalities, and it empowers them to fulfill a role in the community that is enriching for themselves and is beneficial for their community”[2].

Education is also collaboration; we learn from others, with others and are able to share opinions and experiences. Learning with other people is crucial.

At the same time, I think education happens on an individual level. When we are alone and think, we are reflecting. We can learn things from our own experiences and make judgements based on our own thoughts.

This photo was my attempt to show that education can be a waste of resources. Sometimes I feel like I might as well be throwing money into the trash because I am paying so much money and the classes aren’t always worth it. We pour so much money into the system, but where does its actually go?!

So that I don’t end this post on a negative note, I think education is also a key part of life. We learn every day and it helps shape us into the individuals that we are and how we live our life.

Overall this has been a great class (and project) that had made me question my own bias and think more critically about what education is.

1. Black, Carol. Schooling the World:The White Man’s Last Burden. 2010. Film

2. Akinbola, Bukola R. “The Right to Inclusive Education in Nigeria : Meeting the Needs and Challenges of Children with Disabilities.” African Human Rights Law Journal. 10.2 (2010). Print. p. 471