Participatory design in Latin America: reflections on care and politicization

Abstract

This paper examines participation in design from Latin American and popular perspectives, arguing that these contexts generate a distinct logic of participation understood as a situated political practice grounded in care and the construction of collective bonds. Methodologically, the study combines a critical review of participatory design literature with qualitative case-based research. The central experience is the International Development Design Summit (IDDS), held in Guatemala, explored through an auto-ethnographic account based on the author’s direct involvement as a member of the organizing team. This approach makes visible methodological, ethical, and political tensions in participatory design processes conducted in intercultural and unequal contexts. The findings show that participatory practices may reproduce extractivist dynamics when reduced to procedural inclusion, but can also foster politicization when grounded in care, relational commitment, and sustained engagement. The paper identifies care and politicization as key analytical lenses and argues that emancipatory participation requires time, implication, and a willingness to sustain conflict and transform power relations within design processes.