The use of vlogs is promising in participatory action research (PAR) that aims to enhance the health and well-being of citizens. Vlogs have the potential to reach a wide audience, transcending the local scale of PAR. Therefore, dissemination of vlogs in a setting guided by a professional seems to have the potential to facilitate shared learning. Despite the popularity of vlogs, this study highlights the need to carefully consider the use of vlogs in relation to a study’s aims and to respond to (ethical) concerns.
In this article, we reflect on two small-scale exploratory cases, which are nested in two larger PAR studies that were done in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, one about the digital inclusion of women and one about health promotion with adolescents from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Impact / Outcome Our study shows the potential of vlogs within PAR to meaningfully engage with citizens who are living in vulnerable circumstances. The co-creation of tangible products facilitates shared learning, provided that the process is guided by the participatory objectives rather than the outcome. While vlogs are often labelled as ‘nice, easy and quick solutions’ that create a synergy between participation and action beyond their immediate context, our research indicates that it is difficult to create synergy between the participatory objectives and the aim of reaching wider publics. The directions of travel that emerged, especially towards policymakers, were different than we expected. The question of scaling PAR among citizens living in vulnerable circumstances therefore remains a pressing one. This research indicates that to reach the wider community and evoke action, vlogs could be disseminated in more local ways that could be guided by participants or a professional. Spreading of vlogs locally in this way proved to be valuable in the two cases studied and is a more promising focus for further research than buying into a dream of vlogs that are created at the margins and go viral.
Key Metrics Engage with citizens who are living in vulnerable circumstances through the creation of vlogs within participatory action research (PAR)
