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saic.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion
Vulnerable Populations
“Vulnerable populations are individuals that are vulnerable to coercion or undue influence, such as children, prisoners or individuals with impaired decision-making capacity, or economically or educationally disadvantaged persons. Vulnerable subjects are addressed in federal regulations (45 CFR 46 Subparts B, C, and D).” - University of Southern California, Human Research Protection Program
Panhandler
Someone who asks people for money in a public place is a panhandler. The term is fairly derogatory, but it's commonly used for those who mainly support themselves this way.
The Black male subjects of The Panhandler Project were unhoused, which is a condition that is considered socially and economically vulnerable. Academic researchers are required to undergo rigorous reviews of the ethics of their research by institutional review boards, composed of their peers and community members, before engaging in their research with unhoused people. Unhoused people are at higher risk of victimization, and nearly half of unhoused people report experiencing violence. Additionally, these subjects belong to a racialized group, which has not had access to the same rights and protections of US Whites. Finally, though commonly used by many, the term “Panhandler” is characterized as derogatory and risks limiting interpretations of the full humanity of the project’s subjects beyond their economic conditions. Though the photographing and videotaping a seemingly consenting adult nude who was experiencing homelessness may not appear as unethical to an artist, these actions warrant analysis when considering the consent and agency individuals belong to a multiply marginalized and a vulnerable population.
What is Human Subjects Research?
“Federal regulations define human subjects research as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge” about “a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with individuals or identifiable private information” (45 CFR 46.102)" - CalArts Institutional Effectiveness “Human Subjects Research and IRB”
Photographing the Homeless: Art or Exploitation?
John Simpson | Street Photography Magazine | May 2021
When Can Artists Bend Ethics for Art’s Sake? [opinion piece]
Natasha Bell | Artsy | Jul 2018
Abounaddara And The Global Visual Politics Of The ‘right To The Image’*
Joscelyn Jurich | Journal of Visual Culture, vol. 18 (3) | p. 378-411
*ARTIC Login required to access this article
Barriers to Recruitment of Vulnerable Populations at a Participant and Researcher [Blog Post]
Part 2 in A Lens into Working with Vulnerable and Marginalized Populations Blog Series | Columbia University Teachers College | 2023
The Use of Human Subjects in Art: Statement of Principles and Suggested Considerations
College Art Association of America | October 2011
Changing Minds: Challenging Stereotypes between Art and Homelessness*
Charlie Hackett | The International Journal of Social, Political and Community Agendas in the Arts, vol. 15 (3) | p. 27-43 | 2020
*ARTIC Login required to access this article
Feminist Adult Educators’ Guide to Aesthetic, Creative and Disruptive Strategies in Museums and Community
Darlene E. Clover, Suriani Dzulkifli, Hannah Gelderman and Kathy Sanford (Editors) | 2020
Specifically consider reviewing:
“What I Wish I'd Known Then: My Three Top Tips for Engaging 'Vulnerable' Women in Arts-Based Research” by Nic Dickson, PDF p. 288 (book p. 261)
“Using Participatory Photography with Marginalized Populations” by Susan Brigham, PDF p. 296 (book p. 269)
Please note: Many of these A/V resources are more generalized topics, but related to the above themes and could be used for broader context
Anthony Luvera: On Collaborative Representation
The Photo Ethics Podcast |Season 3, Ep. 9 | 45 min. | August 2022
This podcast DOES NOT include transcripts