Harnessing Photo-Elicitation Interviews for Subsistence Marketplace Research

Abstract

Traditional research methods in subsistence marketplaces often fall short of capturing the rich lived experiences of impoverished consumers. This article explores the use of researcher-produced photo-elicitation interviews (RPEI) as an innovative and valuable approach that transcends conventional barriers. By incorporating carefully curated visual stimuli into interviews, RPEI potentially enhances participant recruitment, deepens participant engagement, and leverages concrete and pictographic cognitive styles prevalent among subsistence consumers. This approach can address hermeneutical and testimonial injustice issues in scholarly endeavours, empower marginalised voices, facilitate bottom-up research, and extend the opportunity-expansion approach to research methods in subsistence marketplaces. We detail practical guidelines, ethical considerations, and methodological challenges, offering a framework for scholars working in base-of-the-pyramid contexts. RPEI emerges as a compelling method for enhancing the trustworthiness and depth of qualitative insights, paving the way for more inclusive and contextually resonant marketing research in subsistence marketplaces.