Sample Persuasive Speech Outline:
I.
Intro
A. Attention-Getter: Video Clip: President telling a story
(Source:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/)
B. Thesis: Human beings are
Homo Narrans
: Humans the storytellers (Source: Walter Fisher,
Human Communication As Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value and Action)
C. Preview:
1. Crazy World
2. Stories Help
3. Imagine: Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding, Better World
II.
Body
A.
Crazy World
1. Traditional connections are lost; anonymity & uncertainty prevail
a. Source: James Clifford,
The Predicament of Culture:
“A pervasive condition of off-centeredness in a world of distinct meaning systems.”
b. Source: Anthony Giddens,
Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives
2. Economy, War, Technology- Uncertainty= Cosmology Episode (Source: Karl Weick,
The Social Psychology of Organizing)
B.
Stories Help
1. Sensemaking (Source: Karl Weick,
The Social Psychology of Organizing)
2. Storytelling as sensemaking—collaborative
a. Freedman, Jill & Combs, Gene,
Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred Realities
b. Berger, Peter L. & Luckmann, Thomas,
The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge
C.
Imagine:
Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding, Better world
1. Source:
Journal of Applied Communication Research
, February 2006: “Storytelling helps participants overcome barriers to deliberation… storytelling plays an important collective function for groups, allowing them to build a sense of moral community around issues without much explicit conflict.” -- David Ryfe, p. 72
2. (Same source) Stories increase empathy, civility and friendliness in group interaction.
3. Think for just a second… colleagues, neighbors, friends, family… stories = better understanding.
III.
Conclusion
A. Review:
1. Crazy World
2. Stories Help
3. Imagine: Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding, Better World
B. Thesis: At heart, we’re storytellers.
C.
Call to Action:
Tell Stories! Listen to the stories of others
D. Clincher: The story of our lives can have a happy ending.
...
1. Sample Persuasive Speech Outline:
I.
Intro
A. Attention-Getter: Video Clip: President telling a story
(Source:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRe
marks/)
B. Thesis: Human beings are
Homo Narrans
: Humans the storytellers (Source: Walter Fisher,
Human Communication As Narration: Toward a Philosophy of
Reason, Value and Action)
C. Preview:
1. Crazy World
2. Stories Help
3. Imagine: Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding,
Better World
II.
Body
A.
Crazy World
1. Traditional connections are lost; anonymity & uncertainty
2. prevail
a. Source: James Clifford,
The Predicament of Culture:
“A pervasive condition of off-centeredness in a world of
distinct meaning systems.”
b. Source: Anthony Giddens,
Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives
2. Economy, War, Technology- Uncertainty= Cosmology
Episode (Source: Karl Weick,
The Social Psychology of Organizing)
B.
Stories Help
1. Sensemaking (Source: Karl Weick,
The Social Psychology of Organizing)
2. Storytelling as sensemaking—collaborative
a. Freedman, Jill & Combs, Gene,
Narrative Therapy: The Social Construction of Preferred
Realities
b. Berger, Peter L. & Luckmann, Thomas,
The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology
of Knowledge
C.
Imagine:
Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding, Better world
1. Source:
3. Journal of Applied Communication Research
, February 2006: “Storytelling helps participants overcome
barriers to deliberation… storytelling plays an important
collective function for groups, allowing them to build a sense of
moral community around issues without much explicit conflict.”
-- David Ryfe, p. 72
2. (Same source) Stories increase empathy, civility and
friendliness in group interaction.
3. Think for just a second… colleagues, neighbors, friends,
family… stories = better understanding.
III.
Conclusion
A. Review:
1. Crazy World
2. Stories Help
3. Imagine: Stronger Relationships, Deeper Understanding,
Better World
B. Thesis: At heart, we’re storytellers.
C.
Call to Action:
Tell Stories! Listen to the stories of others
D. Clincher: The story of our lives can have a happy ending.
