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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.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • by Institutional Narrative Genres, such as:
    • Organizational Narratives, such as:
      • Governmental Narratives, such as: national origin narrative (for state formation) and policy narrative (for political justification).
      • Business Narratives, such as: corporate origin narrative (for brand identity) and mission narrative (for organizational purpose).
    • Administrative Narratives, such as:
      • Strategic Narratives, such as: vision narrative (for future direction) and change narrative (for organizational transformation).
      • Operational Narratives, such as: process narrative (for workflow explanation) and policy narrative (for guideline context).
  • by Cultural Narrative Genres, such as:
    • Belief System Narratives, such as:
      • Religious Narratives, such as: origin narrative (for cosmological explanation) and doctrinal narrative (for belief transmission).
      • Ideological Narratives, such as: political narrative (for movement justification) and social narrative (for value propagation).
    • Historical Narratives, such as:
      • National Narratives, such as: foundational narrative (for national identity) and patriotic narrative (for national unity).
      • Social Movement Narratives, such as: resistance narrative (for change motivation) and progress narrative (for reform justification).
  • by Identity Narrative Genres, such as:
    • Group Identity Narratives, such as:
      • Ethnic Narratives, such as: heritage narrative (for cultural preservation) and diaspora narrative (for migration experience).
      • Professional Narratives, such as: discipline narrative (for field definition) and practice narrative (for professional identity).
    • Personal Identity Narratives, such as:
      • Life Story Narratives, such as: biographical narrative (for personal history) and developmental narrative (for personal growth).
      • Career Narratives, such as: professional journey narrative (for career progression) and expertise narrative (for skill development).
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • 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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