TERMINOLOGY

We’re often asked about terminology relating to impact storytelling, narrative, and cultural strategy. Here’s how we use these terms:

STORIES have a beginning, a middle, and an end. They recount specific events in a particular time and place. They can be fiction or non-fiction.

NARRATIVES are patterns of stories that shape how individuals or groups see the world. They can be harmful, beneficial, or both. They operate at multiple levels: the individual level (sometimes called a mindset), the cultural level (sometimes called public discourse), and the structural level (embedded in laws, policies, and norms).

MESSAGES are slogans, hashtags, and taglines that reinforce narratives and drive action.

NARRATIVE CHANGE is the shift in which narratives are told and how frequently they appear in public discourse. 

NARRATIVE STRATEGY is the practice of aligning stories to forge, spread, and reinforce beneficial narratives while countering harmful ones.

CULTURE is the collective beliefs, values, and customs of a group, expressed through stories, art, and shared practices.

CULTURAL STRATEGY centers artists, storytellers, and media makers as agents of social change, using cultural power to shift attitudes and narratives.

IMPACT STORYTELLING is storytelling with a purpose—designed to advance social impact goals.