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Photography · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Photography and Social Justice

This course examines the camera as a tool for advocacy and social change. Rooted in the tradition of concerned photography (from Lewis Hine to modern activists), students will learn to document social issues, marginalized communities, and human rights struggles. The curriculum emphasizes the ethics of representation, informed consent, and how to build long-term documentary projects that drive impact.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Analyze the history of "Concerned Photography" and its impact on policy
  2. Develop long-term documentary projects focused on a specific social issue
  3. Navigate the ethics of photographing vulnerable populations (Consent & Dignity)
  4. Combine images with text and oral history to deepen the narrative
  5. Distribute work through NGOs, exhibitions, and advocacy platforms
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01History: Photography as Evidence (Hine/Riis)
  2. 02Defining Social Justice in a Visual Context
  3. 03Research Methods for Documentary Projects
  4. 04The Ethics of Representation: Power Dynamics
  5. 05Obtaining Informed Consent
  6. 06Storytelling Strategies: The Personal vs. Systemic
  7. 07Covering Protests and Civil Unrest (Safety)
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09The Ethics of "Trauma Porn" vs. Witnessing
  10. 10Building Trust: The Photographer-Subject Relationship
  11. 11Visual Advocacy: Partnering with NGOs
  12. 12Environmental Justice Photography
  13. 13Multimedia: Audio & Text Integration
  14. 14Editing for Impact: Sequencing the Narrative
  15. 15Getting the Work Seen: Exhibitions & Books
  16. 16Final Project: The Social Impact Photo Essay

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Social Impact Photo Essay

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. The Photography of Crisis: The Photo Essays of Weimar Germany by Daniel H. Magilow
  2. Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag
  3. Doing Documentary Work by Robert Coles
  4. Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers by Ken Light
  5. Humanitarian Photography: A History by Heide Fehrenbach
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