Visual critical ethnography: centering narratives of identity, making research more accessible

Abstract Visual critical ethnography (VCE) is a qualitative methodology that brings a critical lens to documenting and interpreting socially constructed phenomena using digital visual tools to communicate in ways that are accessible for audiences outside academia. VCE centers participant identities and life experiences, empowering historically marginalized communities to engage in emic knowledge production and meaning-making. VCE builds on established scientific methodologies, foregrounding a critical approach to stimulate action against social inequities. In utilizing the empathetic nature of visual storytelling, VCE mirrors the method, ethics, and purpose of photojournalism. In this article, I share details of VCE’s application in rigorous field research, providing evidence from civic leaders that VCE projects can generate policy change. I also provide examples of VCE as pedagogy, sharing student perspectives about how this approach presents opportunities for self-expression and critical inquiry, giving their learning experiences more meaning.