Article published In: Narrative Inquiry
Vol. 22:1 (2012) ► pp.50–68
Narratives, connections and social change
Published online: 1 February 2013
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.22.1.04squ
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.22.1.04squ
In this article, I suggest that narratives’ importance for social change may be understood by examining specific elements of narrative syntax — key rhetorical tropes within stories, and story genres. I argue that these stylistic elements generate social connections that themselves support and stimulate social change. I use Young’s (2006) theorisation of responsibility and global justice in terms of connection, to suggest how narratives may support or generate progressive social change. I then examine narrative tropes and genres of similarisation and familiarisation at work in narratives produced around the HIV pandemic, and the limits of those tropes and genres for supporting and catalysing social change.
Keywords: narrative syntax, familiarisation, similarisation
Cited by (10)
Cited by ten other publications
Blanco-Murcia, Laura & Juan Moreno-Cruz
Graziano, Matthew James & Pascale Jean-Simon
Ferguson, Matthew R.
Graziano, Matthew James & Marika Maris
Chaudhary, Mandar S. & Arnav Jhala
Shepherd, Jane
Lamola, M. John
Squire, Corinne
Grove, Nicola
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