In accordance with the present invention, a photoelastic layer and a monitoring device with an integrated polarizer for detecting stress and strain is described. Stresses and strains in the photoelastic layer or in the photoelastic monitoring device can be detected using photoelastic methods. The integrated polarizer allows photoelastic inspections to be carried out with non-polarized incident light, thereby reducing inspection costs and time associated with photoelastic analysis. Also in accordance with the present invention, a method is described for photoelastic analysis comprising a photoelastic coating and an integrated polarizer. The integrated polarizer allows for photoelastic analysis using a regular non-polarized light source. Stresses and strains in the photoelastic coating and in the underlying material can be detected easily and quickly.