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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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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).
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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.