TERMINOLOGY

We’re often asked about terminology relating to impact storytelling and narrative and cultural strategy. Here’s how we use these terms.

STORIES have a beginning, middle, and end. Stories recount a particular series of events that occur in a particular place and time and often contain structural archetypes such as a protagonist, a problem, a path, and a payoff. (Toward New Gravity)

NARRATIVES are patterns of stories that are held by individuals or groups and contain beliefs about the way the world works. They can be harmful, beneficial, or both. (Narrative Strategy: The Basics)

MESSAGES are hashtags, slogans, ideas, taglines that serve as reminders of what we think and how we might choose to act. They are most often used in the context of campaigns and strategic communications. The best of them become narratives. (A Future For All of Us)

NARRATIVE CHANGE is a change in the narratives that circulate within public discourse: either in the set of narratives in circulation (i.e., which narratives are used), or in their relative prevalence (i.e., which narratives are used more or less frequently), or both. (The Features of Narratives) 

NARRATIVE STRATEGY is the practice of sharing connected stories to forge, spread, and reinforce beneficial narratives and counter harmful ones. These stories must be aligned to have a cumulative impact. And to be effective, they must take us on a journey from where we are today to a better future, revealing a new way the world can and should work. (Narrative Strategy: The Basics)

CULTURE is the prevailing beliefs, values, and customs of a group. Culture is also the set of practices (including storytelling and artmaking) that contain, transmit, or express ideas, values, habits, and behaviors between individuals and groups. (Making Waves: A Guide to Cultural Strategy)

CULTURAL STRATEGY is “a field of practice that centers artists, storytellers, media makers, and cultural influencers as agents of social change.” (A Conversation About Cultural Strategy) It “leverages the catalytic and emotional power of culture and the arts to shift attitudes, behaviors, resources, narratives and power.” (A Future For All of Us) 

IMPACT STORYTELLING is intentional, strategic storytelling designed to advance social impact goals — or, put succinctly, storytelling with a purpose and not just story for story’s sake. (Spotlight on Impact Storytelling: Mapping and recommendations for the narrative and cultural strategies ecosystem)