Keywords
PhotoVoice
Participatory Video
Communication
Tribal and Indigenous Community
How to Cite
Abstract
Tribal and indigenous communities are often excluded from crisis communication and development planning, which leads to responses that fail to consider local realities, knowledge systems, and priorities. This study addresses epistemic and communicative exclusion by examining participatory visual ethnography as an inclusive framework for development communication in crisis contexts. Employing a qualitative and conceptual methodology, the analysis focuses on PhotoVoice and Participatory Video as participatory visual methods that empower communities to document, interpret, and communicate their lived experiences. These methods challenge expert-driven and technocratic models of crisis research by positioning tribal participants as co-producers of knowledge rather than passive subjects. Through visual self-representation and collective interpretation, participatory visual methods alter power relations in knowledge production, foreground indigenous perspectives, and reveal aspects of crisis, vulnerability, and resilience that conventional surveys and quantitative indicators frequently overlook. The findings indicate that PhotoVoice and Participatory Video foster dialogue, enhance community agency, and generate culturally grounded narratives that can inform development planning and crisis governance. Overall, participatory visual ethnography is shown to contribute to more inclusive, ethical, and effective development communication by validating experiential knowledge, strengthening community participation, and bridging gaps between grassroots realities and institutional decision-making processes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Adhwayth Milan M. B., Dr Rajesh Kumar B M (Author)