Week 6 Story Lab

The danger of a single story

I loved this talk by Chimimanda Ngozie Adichie. She makes a number of excellent points about stereotypes and representation. One thing I found really interesting is the way she talks about the functions that writing can have. It can be empowering; it is a form of production and growth. It can be self expression. It can also be shared with others and tell the stories that get left out when we only think in stereotypes, and generate empathy and connection (rather than just pity). 

I also liked the way she talks about power. It is true that the who, what, when, and how of storytelling make a significant difference in the meaning on the final product. This is particularly true when people in power tell the stories of those who are not. I thought of my storybook a little bit in this part, since I am focusing on family-oriented LGBT stories - children are always being assimilated into our culture and the ways we teach them about people and power are so important. 

Finally, I thought about the connections between this talk and my social work practice. I work in a non-profit hospital, so I am frequently around people who are both physically and financially vulnerable, and I have to be cautious not to tell their stories for them. Like Adichie said, the single story may sometimes be true, but it is incomplete. 

Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie via Wikipedia

Imaginary friends and real-world consequences: Parasocial relationships

Essentially, this talk has to do with our connections to fictional characters. Because we spend an immense amount of time with fictional characters (reading, watching TV, etc.), we can have really strong attachments to them. Those relationships can affect us like real relationships on a psychological level. Jennifer Barnes, the speaker, mentions celebrities - I also thought about social media, and the "relationships" I have with people I haven't seen since middle school. 

She also makes a great point about the impact that representation in media can have. Since we have relationships with characters, we can create in-groups and out-groups based on the media we consume. It's important to expose ourselves to people unlike us both in real life and in media if we want to be able to build that level of empathy for others.