Narratives are powerful. They shape our perceptions and influence our decisions. Leaders interested in systems change recognize that we need narrative change strategies to advance our causes. But before we can talk about building specific strategies, we must unpack what narratives are, what they do, and why they matter to social justice.
What Narratives Are
In short, narratives are the stories we tell ourselves about the world around us. They are not merely recounting events but are imbued with meanings, interpretations, and emotions that frame our understanding of reality. Narratives are personal, reflecting our individual experiences over our lifetime, and collective, encapsulating our society’s prevailing beliefs and norms. Shared narratives are reflected in books, television, and movies, the news we read, the histories we learn, and the personal anecdotes we share. They influence the values, beliefs, and norms of our society. Narratives are the recurring frameworks through which we routinely interpret the world.
As I have studied narrative change over the past decade, I have come to appreciate that no magic definition captures all that narratives entail. It is helpful, nonetheless, to see how experts define narratives as:
- patterns of meaning that cut across and tie together specific stories. Narratives are common patterns that both emerge from a set of stories and provide templates for specific stories. Frameworks Institute
- the ideas and themes that permeate collections of stories. The ideas can appear in any structure and are articulated and refined repeatedly in a variety of stories and messages. Deep narratives are the stickiest themes and ideas that have permeated stories for more than 50 years. Narrative Initiative
- a Big Story rooted in shared values and common themes that influence how audiences process information and make decisions. The Opportunity Agenda
What Narratives Do
Narratives help us navigate the multitude of information and experiences we encounter daily. By providing us with context, we use narratives to interpret events, understand each other actions, and guide our own. They help us sort competing information and make big and small decisions. Narratives enable public discourse on social, cultural, and political issues; they help us understand societal challenges, identify opportunities, and explore solutions.
Narratives can also limit our thinking or mislead us. They can make social change difficult even when we know current polices are outdated or wrong. Narratives are especially harmful when they ignore the experiences of entire groups of people and are used by people in power to tell a single story. Hence, it is critically important that we be able to spot narratives, understand their origins, and question the stories we have been told.
Why They Matter
In the United States, narratives have profoundly impacted our societal norms and beliefs, including shaping our public policies and laws. By critically examining how narratives have impacted us over time, we can better understand the world around us and what it will take to change our systems and structures.
Narratives have the power to unite or divide, to inspire or discourage. They can foster a sense of community and shared purpose or sow discord and misunderstanding. They can help drive meaningful system change or be used to maintain the status quo. When we analyze and question the validity and consequences of the narratives we encounter, we can develop new narratives that reflect a more inclusive and accurate understanding of the world.
The power to shape narratives is not confined to any single individual or group; it is a capacity we all possess. We can influence productive narratives that shape our culture and society through the words we choose, the stories we share, and the actions we take.
