Social Narrative

A Social Narrative is a narrative that emerges from and shapes social systems (to create shared meaning and guide collective behavior).

• Context:
  • It can typically construct Collective Understanding through cultural patterns and belief systems.
  • It can typically shape Group Identity through shared experiences and common values.
  • It can typically influence Social Behavior through normative expectations and cultural practices.
  • It can typically transmit Cultural Knowledge through generational learning and social memory.
  • It can typically justify Social Structure through legitimizing accounts and institutional logics.
  • ...
  • It can often evolve through Social Processes and collective interpretations.
  • It can often adapt to Social Change through narrative modification and meaning reconstruction.
  • It can often compete with Counter Narratives for social influence and cultural dominance.
  • It can often integrate Personal Experience with collective meaning and shared story.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Local Narrative to being a Global Narrative, depending on its cultural scope.
  • It can range from being a Traditional Narrative to being an Emerging Narrative, depending on its temporal status.
  • It can range from being a Dominant Narrative to being a Marginal Narrative, depending on its power relations.
  • It can range from being a Unified Narrative to being a Contested Narrative, depending on its social consensus.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • by Power Narratives, such as:
    • State Narratives, such as:
      • National Identity Narratives, such as:
        • American Dream Narrative (for social aspiration) and Manifest Destiny Narrative (for territorial expansion).
      • Political Legitimacy Narratives, such as:
        • Democratic Values Narrative (for governance justification) and National Security Narrative (for policy implementation).
    • Institutional Narratives, such as:
      • Organizational Storys, such as:
        • Corporate Origin Story (for institutional identity) and Change Management Narrative (for organizational transformation).
      • Professional Narratives, such as:
        • Medical Professional Narrative (for healthcare practice) and Legal Professional Narrative (for judicial process).
  • by Cultural Meaning Narratives, such as:
    • Belief System Narratives, such as:
      • Religious Narratives, such as:
        • Creation Story (for cosmological explanation) and Salvation Narrative (for spiritual guidance).
      • Ideological Narratives, such as:
        • Progress Narrative (for social development) and Revolution Narrative (for system change).
    • Identity Narratives, such as:
      • Ethnic Heritage Narratives, such as:
        • Migration Story (for diaspora experience) and Cultural Preservation Narrative (for tradition maintenance).
      • Gender Role Narratives, such as:
        • Feminist Narrative (for gender equality) and Masculinity Narrative (for gender expectation).
  • by Historical Narratives, such as:
    • Collective Memory Narratives, such as:
      • War Memory Narratives, such as:
        • Victory Narrative (for national pride) and Reconciliation Narrative (for post-conflict healing).
      • Social Movement Narratives, such as:
        • Civil Rights Narrative (for justice struggle) and Labor Movement Narrative (for worker rights).
    • Generational Narratives, such as:
      • Age Cohort Narratives, such as:
        • Baby Boomer Narrative (for generational experience) and Millennial Narrative (for cohort identity).
  • by Institutional Practice Narratives, such as:
    • Professional Practice Narratives, such as:
      • Educational Narratives, such as:
        • Teaching Philosophy Narrative (for pedagogical approach) and Learning Journey Narrative (for student development).
      • Medical Practice Narratives, such as:
        • Clinical Care Narrative (for patient treatment) and Public Health Narrative (for health promotion).
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Narrative Works, which are intentionally crafted for artistic purposes rather than emerging from social processes.
  • Personal Storys, which reflect individual experiences without necessarily shaping collective meaning.
  • Fictions, which create imagined worlds rather than explaining social reality.
• See: Cultural Pattern, Social System, Collective Memory, Shared Meaning, Institutional Logic.

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