Throughout America’s history, narratives have shaped policy and systems change. From abolition to women’s suffrage to civil rights, storytelling for policy change has driven action and shifted public opinion. As government, nonprofit, and community leaders rethink their approaches to today’s social issues, “changing the narrative” has become a key focus.
Narratives are collections of stories that represent a central idea or belief. When a narrative shapes how people make meaning of the world, it becomes a dominant narrative. Dominant narratives serve the interests of dominant groups and are woven into policy, media, and corporate action. The stories we tell, and how we tell them, matter significantly to our operations as individuals and as a society.
Best Practices for Narrative Advocacy
The current administration’s attacks on everything from immigration to reproductive and voting rights are driven by narrative. Harmful narratives hinder government and nonprofit efforts to protect marginalized communities and the environment. There’s an urgent need for storytelling for policy change. The following best practices can guide organizations in building strategies for narrative transformation:
1. Focus on Shared Values & Priorities
People’s understanding of issues is frame-based, not fact-based. How a story is told — and the values it evokes — can resonate more with an audience than the facts within the story. While data and evidence are important, connecting your audience emotionally to the issue is even more crucial.
2. Don’t Repeat the Harmful Narrative
Campaigns often repeat harmful talking points to refute them, but this only reinforces the harmful narrative. Instead, offer a counternarrative that dispels false information and promotes a more inclusive vision of society.
3. Emphasize the Power of Your Audience to Act
Narrative change is about encouraging people to think, and then act, differently. If the issue feels too big, it may discourage movement. By integrating clear calls to action, you can help your audience feel empowered and motivated to support your policy agenda.
4. Diversify & Multiply Your Storytellers
Dominant narratives are resilient. Narrative change requires polyvocality — the power of many distinct voices delivering the same core message. By combining community voices with experts, researchers, and policymakers, you create a diverse chorus that strengthens your advocacy efforts.
The Power of Narrative Change: Advancing Equitable Policymaking
Narrative informs and builds support for policy, influencing conditions for racial, social, and economic equity. For example, President Biden’s policy allowing trans and nonbinary people to use “X” as a legal gender marker was driven by a progressive narrative that gender is an expansive social construct. However, the Trump administration reversed this decision, reinforcing the harmful narrative that only two genders exist.
Ultimately, narrative change is a precursor to policy change. To advance equitable social policy, we need equity-oriented narratives. By committing to this work over time, nonprofits and government agencies can create progressive narratives that transform the status quo. This new narrative will support organizations and systems working to improve health, social, and economic outcomes in marginalized communities.
