Abstract
Conservation photography, as a field that advocates for the protection of the natural
environment and wildlife, has shown how photography can be employed to tell
stories and influence positive change by inviting people to become more invested in
conservation. Since human activities have an immense impact on the environment
and ecological systems that sustain life, involving people in conservation efforts is
fundamental. Since conservation work is strongly influenced by a human component,
there have been calls to integrate elements of psychology into conservation practice
and theory. However, western notions of conservation psychology, have not
adequately incorporated and acknowledged issues of historical and contemporary
injustice. This study aimed to explore how psychology may contribute to
conservation and environmental justice to promote the protection of the natural world
and human well-being in a just and fair manner. The study specifically explored how
participants of an outreach programme in the Greater Kruger region of South Africa
experienced capacity-building workshops in the context of historical injustice and
their perspectives on the influence the programme has had on their lives. The
research also aimed to appreciate and understand the historical impact of
marginalisation and exclusion on the youth participants of the outreach. The theory
of engagement provided a framework to understand the outreach’s activities and
objectives, whilst interviews and photovoice tasks were utilised to gain in-depth
perspectives from three participant groups: established professional photographers,
aspiring professionals from the outreach Media Team, and graduated participants of
the outreach. Thematic analysis guided the extraction and analysis of the themes
across all three participant groups. Four main themes were extracted across the data
sets, namely capacity building and education (support, skills, sharing), nature
(relationships, connections, protection),
access and exclusion (representation, challenges, race, economic benefits), and
photography (storytelling, expression, connections, skills). The participants’ stories
and photographs are shared in this thesis to demonstrate that a nexus exists
between conserving biodiversity and empowering people and that photography can
serve as powerful means of storytelling and representation. This study demonstrates
the influence of justice-informed capacity building that seeks to empower individuals,
especially youth and addresses issues of exclusion and access. The study outlines
the value psychology professionals may contribute to conservation given its strong
premise on appreciating the nuances of working with communities and individuals
and promoting well-being.