Storytelling for economic justice: The role of stories in galvanising for change

Abi Rhodes*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

This paper explores the role storytelling plays in taking action for economic justice. It draws on responses from interviews and questionnaires conducted in collaboration with the charities Journey to Justice and Sharewear Clothing Scheme. The research employed stories from an economic injustice archive developed by Journey to Justice, and the author. The findings reveal that stories play a predominantly positive role in enabling people to imagine a better future and begin to take action for that future, which demonstrates the role of storytelling in galvanising for economic justice. This study adds to the existing and varied academic literature on storytelling for justice and extends it to include ‘economic’ justice in grassroots communities in the UK, a currently underexplored area.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)257-278
Number of pages22
JournalStorytelling, Self and Society
Volume18
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 27 Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Abi Rhodes is Assistant Professor in Language and Communication at the University of Birmingham. She is a researcher, educator, and project coordinator who specializes in grassroots storytelling and social movement communication and has professional experience in the third and higher education sectors. Her research has been supported by grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Education and Social Research Council.

Keywords

  • activism
  • economic justice
  • political discourse analysis
  • grassroots
  • storytelling
  • social change

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