“I vote for the chat!”: Encouraging (self-) expression and ownership in remote participatory research

Abstract

With the displacement of the researcher from the field during covid-19, remote participatory research with groups in situations of vulnerability has raised questions related to digital access for marginalized populations and the accessibility of digital methods. However, there has been little discussion about the extent to which remote practices may enable new opportunities for participants to be heard and/or seen. This contribution invites a reflection on rethinking power relations in remote participatory practices beyond a focus on ‘access’. We present insights and reflections from digital participatory research using WhatsApp with 30 marginalised young people in the urban periphery of Sao Paulo to explore their experiences with disaster risk and resource insecurity. Forced to shift from face-to-face to remote methods during covid-19, we experimented with a multi-method approach for participant engagement, including group and individual chats, photovoice, videos and creative activities. Experimenting with different asynchronous and synchronous methods showed the importance of giving participants ownership over choosing their preferred method of communication. Young people often preferred to interact through written group chats rather than engage in more ‘participatory’ activities such as photovoice. As they decided on whether, when, and how to participate (or not), power relations shifted from the researcher to the participant (while also considering limitations such as a limited access to mobile devices or internet). This contribution therefore invites a collective reflection on participant ownership and power relations beyond access participation, based on diverse forms of (sometimes silent) self-expression.