Story-Based Strategy:Amplifying the Impact of Grassroots Organizing

Chelsea Creek Action GroupOctober 13 & 14, 2009East Boston & Chelsea, MA

PART I: Framing (15 mins)

We are made of stories

Stories help reinforce meaning and values in a culture.

Symbols help recall stories.

People don’t just tell stories. Stories tell people who we are, how to live...

Elements of Story

Conflict

Characters

Show Don’t Tell Images & Symbols

Foreshadowing

(Underlying Assumptions)

Frame:

The larger story that shapes understanding of information, experiences, and messages; the structure and boundaries of a narrative that defines point-of-view and power. Frames operate is pre-existing narrative lenses in our minds.

PART II: Narrative Power Analysis, Memes & Control Memes (20 Mins)

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF

POWER

STORY-BASED

STRATEGYSTRATEGY

EXTERNALPhysical/Economic

INTERNALNarrative/Ideological

Power Over

Narrative Power Analysis

Changing the Stories: not what people don’t know, but what they do know =FILTERS

Examining Dominant Stories/Origin Myths in US Culture

Power shapes Point of View of the story

Stories can Normalize Power/Universalize Experience

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Meme“A unit of self replicating cultural information”

Contagious ideas, stories, images, and rituals that spread from imagination to imagination, generation to generation, shaping and shifting human cultures…

a capsule for a story to spread…

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“Loots” “Finds”

Illegal Aliens

Changing the Story…

Winning the Battle of the Story

Frame the Conflict Draws our attention to particular details of the story

and avoids others outside the frame

Amplifies the Voices of Impacted Characters Stories speak to us through relevant Spokespeople

Show Don’t Tell -- Engage Peoples Values A good story emphasizes values and imagery over data

Foreshadowing --Shows the Future/Offer Vision People will only go someplace that they have first been to in their minds

Challenges & Changes Underlying Assumptions

Elements of Story

Conflict

Characters

Show Don’t Tell Images & Symbols

Foreshadowing

(Underlying Assumptions)

Framing the Conflict

Characters

Who speaks for those most directly affected?

Images/Show Don’t Tell

Foreshadowing: Sets New Narratives into Motion

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story Amplify

Deepen Analysis/Connect

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Mobilize

Organize

Design: Campaign Narrative

ELMER HERE

Meme Campaign

Encapsulating Story as Meme

Story-Based Strategy

Frames/Reframes the Narrative

Amplifies Voices of Sympathetic Characters

Engages Peoples Values

Show Don’t Tell (Images, Symbols, Pop Culture Icons)

Foreshadowing the Future We Want

Challenging Underlying Assumptions

Part 3 - Chelsea Creek Stories(15 mins)

“Working Waterfront”

Restoration

Environmental Justice

Urban Wild

River RevelCommunity Access

Historic Site

www.smartmeme.org