Personal Storytelling Research Articles

Surviving academia: Narratives on identity work and intersectionality

AbstractThis paper examines the lived experiences of four early career researchers (ECRs), from various intersecting backgrounds, who pursued their degrees at a prestigious UK university. Bonded through solidarity and care, the authors came together in an online writing group (OWG), which serves as a means of liberation from structural, colonial, and patriarchal oppression. Built upon autoethnographic vignettes, this paper reveals fragile narratives to capture subjective experiences of neglect through the lens of intersectionality and Goffmanian “passing” and “revealing”. Motivated to explore the coping mechanisms of marginalized ECRs, this paper's co‐constructed data collection and co‐generative analysis unpack how a meso‐organization (here, the OWG) allows foreign identities to transcend the constraints of the expected academic professional identity; thus freeing authors from stigma. This paper calls for help and advocates for the urgency of support groups for ECRs as they face issues around finances, political conflicts, and family from pre‐ to post‐COVID‐19 pandemic. Additionally, the research challenges internalized norms of academic productivity and responsibilization and calls for a re‐examination of systemic inequalities. By advocating for collaborative autoethnography and embodied personal storytelling, this study contributes to a richer, more inclusive exploration of intersectionality in academia and emphasizes the need for structural reforms to create more equitable academic environments.

An Effect of Storytelling on Attitude Changes in Deliberative Mini-Publics

This study aims to explore the relationship between opinion changes and the quality of deliberation in deliberative polls, focusing on the impact of storytelling. Deliberative mini-publics have gained considerable attention as a form of deliberative democracy. While deliberative democracy emphasises the importance of changing participants’ preferences through rational discourse, the existence of a link between opinion changes and deliberation quality has not been thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the influence of alternative forms of communication, such as storytelling, on attitude changes has not yet been investigated. Using data from a deliberation event modelled after a deliberative poll, we conducted a multiple regression analysis to examine the factors that contribute to individual attitude changes, using ‘Opinions,’ ‘Reasons,’ and ‘Personal experience’ as explanatory variables, coded and scored by an index according to the Discourse Quality Index. Our findings revealed that personal experience significantly affected individual opinion changes, although the effect and its direction were inconsistent and contradictory, depending on specific aspects of attitudes. While prior studies have focused on the exchange of reasoned opinions to examine the relationship between opinion changes and deliberation quality, our research suggests that personal storytelling may have an impact on preference changes.

Personal Storytelling and Subjective Narratives of Local Reporters through Private Newsletters

ABSTRACT This study explores the emergence of personal, subjective narratives in private, digital newsletters, focusing on the SIDINL network’s role in transforming citizens into local news reporters in Sub-Saharan Africa. By analysing cases of newsletters in Nigeria and Cameroon, this study investigates how these local reporters can develop a distinctive personal style of reporting, engaging with niche Western audiences in an informal and affective manner. It highlights the significance of personalised storytelling in conveying the nuanced realities of local communities, emphasising the power of subjective voices in enriching the global conventional understanding of social and environmental issues. Through this lens, the study underscores the potential of these carefully monitored digital platforms in facilitating a deeper, interactive connection between local reporters and their small niche audiences, fostering a stronger sense of empowerment through shared narratives and discussions between the local people and the external audience.

The impact of cultural settings on sustainability narratives: an explorative study with the Indian diaspora

Achieving sustainable futures is complicated by the diverse understandings and prioritisations of sustainability issues and practices. A reason for the lack of common ground is the fact that sustainability is a global project which is primarily driven by the North, rather than one that consistently integrates local and cultural diversity. Research has shown that sustainability expectancies of Southern civic society are lacking in the considerations of crucial sustainability frameworks. This investigation focuses on the expectancies of a community with Southern cultural origins and identities—the Indian diaspora in Australia. The unique bicultural positioning of diasporas and their growing influence on the cultural scaffolds of societies, make their assessment of sustainability distinctly relevant and insightful. The objective of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the Australian Indian diaspora’s understanding of sustainability, their prioritisation of diverse sustainability concerns, and the cultural underpinnings of these perceptions and preferences. Seven focus groups including components of the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique and personal storytelling, were conducted in Sydney, Australia from September to October 2022. This study demonstrates that two distinct sustainability narratives direct the meaning of sustainability—one has a global application and environmental focus, the other a localised Southern application and social focus. Cultural context is critical in directing the adoption of either narrative by mobilising relevant cultural social identities and promoting their resonance. Education emerges as a strategy to reframe the sustainability narrative and create a more balanced sustainability discourse.

When Information Subsidies Go Live: Conceptualizing the Strategic Role of Personal Storytelling

This conceptual article argues that the strategic use of personal storytelling to attract public attention and gain political impact is insufficiently theorized in political communication, journalism studies, and lobbying research. Claiming the need to study backstage relations among interest groups, professional communication workers, journalists, and decision-makers, it conceptualizes how lay personal stories, with strong moral appeal and claim to authenticity, constitute a powerful form of live information subsidy in both indirect and direct communication strategies to influence decision-makers. Extending the classic theory of information subsidies, the article unpacks the particular value of personal storytelling regarding credibility, legitimacy, and appeal and hypothesizes how and when interest groups select, craft, exchange, and communicate lay personal stories to create public support and influence political decisions. The theorization of strategic personal storytelling is based on the synthesis of distinct research literatures and abductive multi-sited field studies of Norwegian interest groups, government communication, and journalistic source relations, heading the calls for more mixed-method, cross-disciplinary research to advance political communication overall.

Of comics and climate change: an interview with Brian Fies

ABSTRACT Wildfires are both a devastating reality and a growing concern in the face of our changing climate. Brian Fies’s A Fire Story is a graphic narrative that sensitively presents the harrowing experiences of losing his home to Northern California wildfires (2017). This article offers insights from an email interview with Fies, examining the distinctive narrative affordances of the comic medium. The interview is divided into two sections. Part one titled ‘Drawn from the Ashes: Of Comics and Climate Change,’ Fies responds to questions regarding the artistic choices (visual storytelling elements etc.) he made to convey the emotional spectrum of the wildfire experience. Part two, titled ‘Rebuilding from Ashes: Resilience and Realities,’ Fies presents his perspective on the role of personal storytelling in addressing climate change and resilience. Put together, Fies reflects on the potential of comics to evoke empathy, raise awareness, and enable meaningful dialogue on urgent issues such as wildfires, climate resilience and natural disasters. In so doing, the present interview contributes to the discussion on the intersection of comics, personal narrative, and environmental crises, offering a nuanced understanding of the role of graphic storytelling in conveying the impact of natural disasters.

Looking for It: Language, Literacy, and History in Place

Within this article, we explore how teachers, researchers, and community members—including youth—worked in collaborative conversations and place-based projects to explore the languages, stories, and histories of their local Georgia communities. By examining the process of “looking for it,” as one youth researcher puts it, this article explores three inquiry practices Georgia youth use to identify and sustain community language and literacy practices: personal storytelling, walking histories, and breaking bread. These community literacies resulted in youth having a stronger sense of self and community and understanding the relationship between them. Additionally, the practices spurred critical thinking, historical inquiry, and socioemotional learning. Community exploration through community literacies created the foundation for place-based language, literacy, and history research to take root and flourish.

IJCM_345A: Attitudes and Beliefs among Young Adults in Urban Meerut towards Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: About 70 % of mental disorders can be diagnosed prior to age 25 years and they comprise the single largest component of disease burden during the second decade of the life span. Globally, Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. WHO estimates that the burden of mental health problems in India is 2443 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100 00 population. The economic loss due to mental health conditions, between 2012-2030, is estimated at USD 1.03 trillion. There has been an increased rise in the need for improved mental health literacy to address the complex issues surrounding mental well-being. Objective: To explore the attitudes and beliefs and its influencing factors among the young adults of urban Meerut towards Depression. Methodology: It is a community based cross-sectional study done among the 18-25 years age group residents of urban Meerut. The sample size was calculated to be 188 which was rounded off to 190, at 95% confidence interval with 6.5% absolute precision following a prevalence of 29.04% from a similar type of study. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire designed based on National Survey of Mental Health Literacy and Stigma Youth Boost Survey V5 by Anthony F. Jorm and Nicola Reavley. Results: In the current study, it was found that about 32.6% (62) of the study participants did not consider depression as a real medical illness. However, it was seen that majority i.e. 90.0% (171) had believed that if that sharing with the close family/friends could help in recovering from depression. Conclusion: By promoting accurate education, responsible media portrayals, personal storytelling, and community engagement towards developing positive public attitudes towards mental health conditions will hold significant power in influencing societal perceptions, shaping interactions, and impacting the well-being of individuals.

The future of Black Theology of Liberation: Narrative as epistemological resource

The death of Black Theology of Liberation (BTL) has been announced, and many were invited to the funeral. This article rejects vehemently such a death as a myth, and provides two reasons why such a theology would have a place to address theologising in the world. It firstly argues that BTL attributes its birth through stories. These stories are captured in history; embodied stories that are told. Secondly, it is found in a broader epistemology than that provided by the Enlightenment paradigm. Therefore, it is not only found in conceptual, argumentative discourses, but other forms of knowledge systems, including stories, poetry, and personal storytelling. However, this has still not been equally appreciated and explored. Taking the above two reasons into account, the death of BTL cannot be announced by academics, since they were never the sole custodians thereof, only recipients of the tradition of an oppressed people.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article has implications for how theology is being done in all theology-related disciplines, moving from context, to scripture, to context in a continuous hermeneutical circle. It addresses the way in which all theological disciplines have been functioning within the Enlightenment paradigm, and how black theology itself has lent itself to it, but is continually reforming, because of its nature to be narrative in its approach.

“They Told me I Should Feel Sad”: Narrative and Personal Story Telling as a Sensemaking and Ownership Tool for Young People Who Have Experienced Bereavement

AbstractThis research focused on listening to the voices of children who have experienced the death of someone important to them. Through a personalized narrative methodology working with practitioners, and with regard for cultural and religious beliefs, children were given safe space to tell their own truths to sense‐make rather than prescribing how they should be feeling or what they should be experiencing as part of their grief journey. Findings suggest this impacted positively on the children's wellbeing. The recommendations are to use this approach to open up dialogue instigated by the child, which is currently missing from contemporary policy and practice, as well as adding to the limited literature. Furthermore, the engagement with the topic of death is advocated for all children rather than simply retrospectively with those who have experienced it. As this was a small‐scale study, more research is needed.

Creativity — Narrativity — Fictionality: A Critical Genealogy

Abstract: The term “narrative” has become ubiquitous in public discourse, but to date little work has been done to explore how vitally it is related both historically and theoretically to another contemporary buzzword: creativity. By addressing this lacuna this essay seeks not only to illuminate the popularity of narrative as a mode of knowledge, but to shed new light on its relationship to another core concept in the field: fictionality. The essay argues that the narrative turn and the contemporary boom in instrumental storytelling have been facilitated by a lexical and semantic shift from narrative as artifact to narrative as process, and that this shift is the result of ongoing historical intersections with new secularized and democratized theories of creativity as a human faculty. By tracing this shift we can better understand the contested history of fictionality, particularly in relation to debates about the rise of the novel in the eighteenth century, and bring a new approach to the epistemological underpinings of the narrative turn in the academy and the subsequent popular appeal to personal storytelling in the networked public sphere.

Tales of me: storytelling identity work, authenticity, and impression management during new CEOs' work role transitions.

This study aims to understand how new CEOs construct, revise, and maintain in their narrative, repertoire stories that represent their identity as it is associated with their new occupational role. For this purpose, we conducted a qualitative study using the Grounded Theory method, involving 47 CEOs from different sectors residing in Brazil. Our results allowed for the construction of a central category called Storytelling Identity Work, which refers to stories that individuals tell about themselves, and enable them to propose and redefine who they are during major life transitions. This paper seeks to explain: (a) under what conditions this phenomenon tends to occur; (b) what characterizes the success of Storytelling Identity Work and; (c) what leads to the revision or retention of stories in the self. Our results show that storytelling identity work tends to be used by new CEOs during their transition period into the role, and when their new position involves higher levels of visibility and alteration of prestige levels in comparison to their previous position. They also suggest that storytelling identity work tends to be more successful when the stories are co-constructed and validated with other significant individuals and when they enable new CEOs to feel "sufficiently authentic" and "sufficiently impressive." Finally, we theorize that such feelings, along with a sense of coherence between the story being told and other narratives consciously or unconsciously being narrated by the interviewees throughout their lives, lead to the retention of the story within the individual's self. This article innovates by connecting the literature on personal storytelling with identity work and exploring processes that are not only useful during the process of transitioning into the role of new CEOs but also influence the constitution of the narrative repertoire and, consequently, the identity of these individuals.

Equality, diversity and inclusion: learning from laying our cards on the table (resource showcase)

In this showcase, we presented a card resource for learning developers who work with staff or students to set up an inclusive learning environment. These are often personal interactions and need to be explored respectfully (Love, Gaynor, and Blessett, 2016; Mahmood, Gray and Benincasa, 2022). The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) cards were created by the University of Hertfordshire and comprise 26 topics and illustrations, ranging from ‘belonging’ to ‘trust’, and exist in both a physical and digital format. Resources used as games can encourage participation, reflection, and transformational thinking (Peabody and Noyes, 2017; Clark, Dickerson, and Jarvis, 2022), which are all important for encouraging respectful conversations about EDI issues.
 A collaborative project with the University of East Anglia to explore the use of the cards was funded by ALDinHE. Full ethics approval was gained from both universities before beginning. It recruited staff and students at Hertfordshire and East Anglia who worked with EDI issues and gathered reflections from facilitators and participants who used the cards in different learning contexts, such as academic support staff development exercises and student representation workshops. They reported that the card prompts allowed for personal storytelling and they suggested further topics for the cards set.
 This session, led by learning developers and teaching staff, explored the idea of the ‘brave space’ (Arao and Clemens, 2013, p. 142; Palfrey, 2017) and why ‘serious play’ is important in learning (Rieber, Smith and Noah, 1998, p. 29). It discussed where and when the cards can be used, in terms of: a physical or digital space; the curriculum or disciplinary context; and the stage of the learner’s journey. The EDI cards and new guidance booklet were made available for delegates to take away.

Image of a city in the local and global media: Suzhou as a case

Suzhou City in East China is well known within the country for its booming economy and rich culture but less so internationally. This study focuses on a comparative analysis of the construction of Suzhou's image in different cities and countries through multiple media platforms to explore the variations in themes, narrative styles and promotion strategies. Adopting the quantitative approach, the authors selected 1265 texts from 2015 to 2020 for a content analysis. Findings show that both the local and global media often report on Suzhou as a tourist city. However, Suzhou's local media report more on the city's history and lifestyle than their global counterparts, while the global media more on the city's culture and arts. Moreover, Suzhou's local media preferred adopting narrative styles that created visual symbols and used corporates, brands and activities for place branding, while the global media would use personal storytelling more for interaction with its target audiences.

Blackout Autotheory

This Offering uses Walter Benjamin’s “Theses on the Philosophy of History” to reflect on the author’s history of blackout drinking. Situating the author’s approach as an experiment in autotheory, the author explains how his sense of selfhood and time lost to addiction shift when thought alongside Benjamin’s idea that history reopens in times of revolution. The author’s unconventional reading of Benjamin raises the question of whether time lost to alcoholic blackouts may be redeemed in the moment of quitting. The article contributes to the literature on addiction narratives by integrating personal storytelling and theoretical analysis of identity, ethics, crisis, and time. More broadly, the article makes a methodological contribution to experimental writing in critical cultural studies that strives to embody the dialectic of self and social.

Examining Conjoint Behavioral Consultation to Support 2e-Autism Spectrum Disorder and Gifted Students in Preschool with Academic and Behavior Concerns.

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC), as adjusted for 2e children with academic and behavioral difficulties, was the focus of this single-subject design study. Three young children from a preschool participated, together with their parents and teachers. Academic enablers for students-intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases; academic and behavioral competencies-intervention, maintenance, and generalization phases; and teachers', parents', and students' perceptions of the intervention's social validity data were collected among the outcome measures. Findings from multiple participant-related probes pointed to constructive improvements in the phases of intervention, maintenance for listening behavior, and improved on-task skill in intervention, maintenance, and generalization. Additionally, during the consultation, parents and teachers noted improvements in the outcomes of the target behavior such as rhythm keeping, picture-word matching, writing the pictured concept in Turkish, writing the pictured concept in English, short personal story writing, short personal story telling, and verbal math problem solving, and each stakeholder gave the intervention a grade for its social validity. Limitations, potential routes for future study, and implications for preschool CBC intervention are highlighted.

Authenticity in Music

Authenticity in music is a complex that has intrigued musicians, scholars, and audiences for centuries. It refers to the perceived genuineness, sincerity, and originality of the musical expression, reflecting the artist's ability to convey genuine emotions and experiences. While authenticity is a subjective and evolving notion, it plays an essential role in shaping the listener's connection with the music and the artist. In the contemporary music, the pursuit of authenticity has been both celebrated and challenged. On one hand, artists who can genuinely express their thoughts and emotions through their craft often resonate deeply with audiences, fostering a sense of connection and understanding. This authenticity can be achieved through various means, such as personal storytelling, vulnerability, or innovative approaches to musical composition

Understanding Stakeholders' Perspectives to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Uptake Among Black Individuals With Rheumatic Conditions.

Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine and booster uptake persist. This study aimed to obtain perspectives from community and physician stakeholders on COVID-19 vaccine and booster hesitancy and strategies to promote vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. We invited community leaders and physicians in greater Boston and Chicago to participate in semi-structured interviews using a moderator guide developed a priori. Participants were queried about how to best address vaccine hesitancy, strategies to target high-risk populations, and factors to identify future community leaders. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using Dedoose. A total of 8 physicians and 12 community leaders participated in this study between November 2021 and October 2022. Qualitative analyses revealed misinformation/mixed messaging and mistrust, with subthemes including conspiracy theories, concerns regarding vaccine development and function, racism and historical injustices, and general mistrust of health care systems as the top cited reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Participants also shared demographic-specific differences, such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender that influenced the identified themes, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine access and apathy. Strategies for community-based vaccine-related information dissemination included personal storytelling with an iterative and empathetic approach, while recognizing the importance of protecting community leader well-being. To increase vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic conditions, strategies should acknowledge and respond to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic injustices that engender vaccine hesitancy. Messaging should be compassionate, individually tailored, and recognize heterogeneity in experiences and opinions. Results from these analyses will inform a planned community-based intervention in Boston and Chicago.

In Search of the Niche—Targeting Lamb Meat Consumers in North-East Germany to Communicate the Ecosystem Services of Extensive Sheep Farming Systems

Extensive sheep farming systems provide numerous ecosystem services, most of which consumers are not aware of. Consumers’ subjective quality perception relates to intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes. Extrinsic quality attributes, like animal welfare, conservation of biodiversity, and regional and sustainable lamb meat production, meet the expectations of meat consumers. Communication of quality attributes can support consumers’ willingness to buy and pay a premium price, as well as producers’ economic viability. Previous studies focused on consumers’ perception of intrinsic quality attributes, while it is our objective to analyse the target group-specific communication of extrinsic quality attributes of extensive sheep farming. An online survey with 387 valid respondents included lamb meat consumers in Berlin-Brandenburg and revealed their consumption patterns. The sample is representative of Berlin-Brandenburg in net household income, population division and gender, while academics and respondents over 50 years were overrepresented. The survey addressed demographics, meat consumption and purchasing behaviour, preferences for different lamb meat products, purchasing motives and barriers, perception of communication messages and personal initiative for the purchase of regional lamb. Via Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis, we identified two key target groups for regionally produced lamb meat: “Foodies” and “Cooking enthusiasts”. Guided by Alphabet theory with its specific focus on Knowledge, Information seeking behaviour and purchasing Habit, we derive recommendations for target-group-specific communication of regionally produced lamb meat. “Foodies” showed a high potential for direct marketing and personal storytelling of sheep farmers. “Cooking enthusiasts” are best addressed through print and online marketing with a focus on cooking and personal health.

Trans YouTubers and DIY undergarments: ‘Queer-and-trans-world-making-and-sharing’ within the fashion system’s informal economies

In our research we explore how do-it-yourself (DIY) gender-affirming undergarments worn on the lower torso are made and distributed and the broader context of these objects in relation to influencer identity, trans experiences, activism and personal storytelling on YouTube in the twenty-first century. To engage in action-oriented research as part of our approach, we also developed a corresponding mounted fashion exhibition that we co-curated with three of the YouTubers featured in the research. To achieve our purpose, we drew upon multiple qualitative methods. We analysed YouTube videos using a comparative method, conducted oral histories with the YouTube content creators and engaged in a curatorial process to produce a co-curated fashion exhibition with the oral history interviewees. The trans YouTubers in our research engaged in what we refer to as queer-and-trans-world-making-and-sharing. That is, there was an overarching emphasis on making DIY tutorial videos via YouTube and the actual garments for themselves, but then also creating and sharing this knowledge with others so they, too, could experience and access happiness and joy in how they fashion their identity through dress.