Life, Voice and Color: artisanal fishing territorial narratives through image and university extension

Abstract

Geography has increasingly incorporated qualitative and sensitive approaches to understand territorialities produced by historically marginalized social groups. Nevertheless, studies that systematically explore photography and audiovisual media as methodological tools articulated with university extension in the analysis of fishing territorialities remain limited. In this context, the article examines how visual languages can contribute to the construction of territorial narratives and to the recognition of identities within artisanal fishing communities in the Patos Lagoon estuary, southern Brazil. The study aims to reflect on the potential of photography and audiovisual production as methodological and narrative instruments in Cultural Geography when integrated with extension practices. The research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in Oral History, participant observation, and fieldwork conducted in traditional fishing communities, particularly in Ilha da Torotama, Ilha dos Marinheiros, and Quinta Secção da Barra. Photographic and audiovisual records, together with collected testimonies, were systematized into extension outputs such as photographic exhibitions, the production of a documentary medium-length film, and a community booklet. The results indicate that visual production strengthens processes of identity recognition, expands the visibility of fishing territorialities, and reinforces the relationship between university and community. As a scientific contribution, the study demonstrates that the articulation between visual methodologies, fieldwork, and university extension broadens methodological possibilities in Geography and supports the construction of territorially grounded and socially engaged knowledge.