Capturing their dream: Video diaries and minority consumers

Abstract

This paper describes the characteristics and benefits of a visual ethnography method called “video diary.” The authors illustrate the special features of the method based on their experiences in using it to understand consumer acculturation of Pacific Islanders in New Zealand. In brief, research participants benefit from the control and voice that video diaries give them. Researchers benefit from “saturated description” and collaborative analysis. The benefits of video diaries are particularly suited to ethnographic research with people from collectivist or vulnerable groups. Video diaries can be used alone or along with other ethnographic methods and the authors recommend them to consumer researchers, who want to understand routine and private aspects of consumers’ lives or any aspect of culture. Their range of use is limited only by one’s imagination.

Keywords:

• visual methods
• video diaries
• minority consumers
• consumer acculturation
• visual ethnography
• Pacific
• culture
• transformative research
• collaborative research

Notes

1. The term “Pacific Islander” is used to denote an individual from the Pacific region, and is predominantly used in New Zealand. It is an encompassing term that excludes the complex diversity of each Pacific nation and combines those with pan‐Pacific heritage. In this research, there were four Pacific countries involved: Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. There is a large pan‐Pacific population in New Zealand, with some Pacific populations in New Zealand having exceeded the size of their home island population (e.g. Niue, Cook Island, Tokelau) (Cook, Didham, and Khawaja 2001).

2. Although we have permission to use participants’ real names, we have used pseudonyms throughout because of the sometimes sensitive content in their revelations.

3. Pākehā is a Māori (Indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand) word with earlier definitions meaning European, or White, person (Melbourne 1995). More recently, however, this term has been broadened to include all people who are non‐Māaori. In this context, the participant is referring to the earlier definition.