Narrative and Cultural Strategy
for Organizers
|
A movement resource for organizers to understand narrative and cultural strategy and make a plan for your organization to wield cultural power to make change.
|
What is Narrative Strategy?
Narrative strategy aims to change cultural narratives as one aspect of a campaign.
Cultural narratives make up the broad sets of beliefs and ways of understaning the world around us that are shared by a group of people (a culture). Some cultural narratives are harmful, and one aspect of narrative strategy is to identify and seek to change cultural narratives that prevent us from creating transformative change.
Some narrative strategy takes the approach of engaging with broad "consensus" narratives. This can include finding messages that work for the broadest group of people. It can also include harm reduction frameworks, like trying to get the media to be less racist on a particular issue.
Some narrative strategy is about the targeted narratives that make our campaigns better. This is often an approach to find the best narrative(s) for the audiences needed in a particular campaign, and thinking about what storytelling methods will best communicate that narrative.
Some narrative strategy is based in creating narrative surges amongst people who identify with a narrative that can be part of the shift in a broader cultural narrative. Narrative surges have the most specific audiences and the most specific narratives.
Cultural narratives make up the broad sets of beliefs and ways of understaning the world around us that are shared by a group of people (a culture). Some cultural narratives are harmful, and one aspect of narrative strategy is to identify and seek to change cultural narratives that prevent us from creating transformative change.
Some narrative strategy takes the approach of engaging with broad "consensus" narratives. This can include finding messages that work for the broadest group of people. It can also include harm reduction frameworks, like trying to get the media to be less racist on a particular issue.
Some narrative strategy is about the targeted narratives that make our campaigns better. This is often an approach to find the best narrative(s) for the audiences needed in a particular campaign, and thinking about what storytelling methods will best communicate that narrative.
Some narrative strategy is based in creating narrative surges amongst people who identify with a narrative that can be part of the shift in a broader cultural narrative. Narrative surges have the most specific audiences and the most specific narratives.
Narrative Strategy: Housing Zine!This Zine gives an intro to narrative strategy and a rundown on housing narrative strategy. My hope is that it is easy to understand but thourough, and has useful ideas for organizers in an accessible format.
It's a physical zine - so you gotta print it out. Click the link to download the Zine and then print It doublesided, flipping on the short side. Then fold in half, double-check your page numbers are in order, and staple if you wish. If you try to read the PDF, the pages will be out of order - pay attention to the page numbers. When you're done with your printed copy, share it with a friend. Or print a few and share at an upcoming meeting or event. If reading a printed paper isn't accessible to you, or if you're just a podcast kind of person, click the button below for the audiozine/podcast version where I basically read the Zine to you with some commentary along the way. |
|
Housing Narrative Strategy Toolkit
|
|
|