In advance of SCG’s 2022 Annual Conference, Narrative Power: Reframe Stories, Redefine Culture, we are pleased to offer this curated list of resources (blog posts, podcasts, videos, etc.) to ground attendees in what we mean when we talk about narrative power. What is it, and why is it essential to the change we seek to make? Please join us to learn from some of the foremost experts on the subject.

About Narrative Power

Report: Changing Our Narrative About Narrative: The Infrastructure Required for Building Narrative Power

by Rashad Robinson (written report in PDF; 11 pages)

The team at Color of Change, led by Rashad Robinson, are leading thinkers on the subject of narrative power. Their website includes many reports on the topic. We recommend starting with this one from our keynote speaker, which provides “a high-level outline of the strategic thinking required to create the right story about narrative change, and the infrastructure required to build true narrative power.”

Webinar Recording: Color of Wealth: Growing Narrative Power & Cross-Racial Solidarity

Breakout session hosted at SCG’s 2021 Annual Conference (video with ASL interpretation; one hour)

This recording of a session hosted at SCG’s 2021 Annual Conference features four prominent leaders engaged in narrative work: Bridgit Antoinette Evens from Pop Culture Collab, Imara Jones of TransLash, Favianna Rodriquez with Center for Cultural Power, and Bird Runningwater from the Sundance Institute. Their conversation illuminates what narrative work entails and how philanthropy can use narrative and cultural change strategies to build power in communities.

Report: The Features of Narratives: A Model of Narrative Form for Social Change Efforts

by Frameworks Institute (written report in PDF; 56 pages)

FrameWorks Institute studies “how people think and talk about numerous social issues” and joins us at this year’s conference for our breakout session on Dismantling a Toxic Culture with Authentic Narrative Change. This foundational report, published in 2021, provides a deep dive into how we can use narrative to advance social change. Communications staff, researchers, and others already steeped in this work can deepen their engagement via the model presented in this report.

Example Narrative Projects

Webinar Recording and Report: Why All Guaranteed Income is Narrative Work

A report co-authored by the Insight Center and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and breakout session recording by the same name hosted at SCG’s 2022 Policy Conference (written report in PDF, 20 pages; conference session recording, 54 minutes)

Insight Center President Anne Price and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and End Poverty in California Founder Michael Tubbs are leading thinkers about the role of narrative in advancing anti-poverty programs such as guaranteed income. Their report, Why All Guaranteed Income is Narrative Work, outlines “best practices for centering dignity, race, and gender in cash-based programs.” Their ensuing one-on-one conversation, hosted at SCG’s 2022 Policy Conference, provides a deep dive into what narrative change really means, why it’s crucial to guaranteed income and all anti-poverty work, and how funders can begin thinking about activities and evaluation to support these efforts.

Messaging Guidance: Housing Narrative Lab Messaging Guidance on Homelessness Messaging

Created by Lake Research Partners, HIT Strategies, and ASO Communications (written report in PDF, 7 pages)

Based on focus group and online survey data, this set of messaging guidance published by the Housing Narrative Lab provides a strong example of how an organization might conduct research and craft narrative strategies to advance a strategic goal, in this case, “mobilizing support for a progressive homelessness and housing policy agenda.” Messaging guidance includes core recommendations, first, second, and third key messages to promote, words to embrace, and words to replace.

Research on Narrative to Advance Gender Justice: Story at Scale

Led by the Women’s Foundation California (website)

Summarizing a year-long research project, the Story at Scale website represents the best thinking of various “researchers, data scientists, artists, advocates, and organizers” to develop cultural and narrative strategies to promote gender justice. Peruse the website to understand how this new narrative gets built: the platform and pillars that gender justice is based upon, test videos to persuade audiences, and the research behind the project.

BROKE Project: Radcomm, Center for Public Interest Communications, and Milli Agency https://www.brokeproject.org/ 

BROKE is an opportunity to examine the stories we tell about poverty and wealth and to work together to build new narratives rooted in the wisdom of lived experience, narrative power, organizing for economic justice, and social science. Check out a timeline of the narratives, policies, and events that have created poverty and wealth; find tools to identify harmful narratives, put systems in your stories, provide self-care for storytellers, and build new stories for economic justice.