ReFraming Food: Changing the Story for Justice
Growing Food & Justice for All
Milwaukee, WI
September 19, 2008

Power Over
Physical/Psychological Narrative /Mythological

Narrative Power Analysis
 Examining Dominant Stories in US Culture
 Power shapes Point of View of the story
 Stories can Normalize Power/Universalize
Experience
Changing Stories: not what people
don’t know, but what they do know =FILTERS

Welfare Queen
GILLIAM ALTERED THE RACE OF THE WOMAN
PORTRAYED IN A WELFARE REFORM TV STORY TO
TEST VIEWERS' PERCEPTIONS OF GENDER AND
RACE.

“Loots” “Finds”

Elements of Story/Story-Based Strategy
 Frames the Conflict
Draws our attention to particular details of the story
and avoids others outside the frame
 Amplifies the Voices of Characters
Stories speak to us through relevant Spokespeople
Hero/Victim/Villian
 Show Don’t Tell -- Engage Values
Stress stories, images, 5 senses, values (over data)
 Foreshadowing --Shows the Future/Offers Vision
People will only go someplace that they have first
been to in their minds
Challenges underlying assumptions

Illegal Aliens

Changing the Story…

Many campaigns are a Struggle
for “Whose Story?”
Amplifying the Voices of those most directly affected

Show Don’t Tell
vs.

Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing Vision
Show Don’t Tell

Story-Based Strategy
 Frames/Reframes the Narrative
 Amplifies Voices of Characters
 Engages Peoples Values
 Show Don’t Tell (Images, Symbols, Pop Culture Icons)
 Foreshadowing the Future
Challenging underlying assumptions

Alliance Building + Analysis
Mobilize story Amplify
Organize

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