Participatory Use of Video: A Case Study of Community Involvement in Story Construction

Abstract

"The arrival of affordable video camera generated considerable enthusiasm among proponents of participatory research as it allowed for subsequent replay of moments that occurred during the interactions and also freed the researchers from the chores of recording fieldwork data. It, however, introduced other complexities because in front of a camera people often tend to 'overreact' or get intimidated by the technology. Furthermore, there is the danger of researchers sliding into a storytelling mode instead of maintaining an objective stance and recording the reports. This paper uses Oxfam's participatory video project in Nairobi to examine how participatory video works out in practice."