finding narratives at the nexus: telling stories about our work can help us do it better

FINDING NARRATIVES

AT THE NEXUSTELLING STORIES ABOUT OUR WORK CAN HELP US DO IT BETTER

PERSPECTIVES - #NCSECONF

TOM SEAGER ARIZONA STATE

@SEAGETTP

BETH KARLIN UNIVERSITY OF

SOUTH CALIFORNIA

LIZ NEELEY STORY COLLIDER

@LIZNEELEY

LARA FOWLER PENN STATE

@FOWLER_LARA

WHY TELL STORIES?

Academics

MOTIVATION

Fischoff (1994) Risk Analysis. Photo © Carnegie Mellon

credibility competence + goodwill + trustworthiness

Photo © Princeton University Fiske & Dupree (2014) PNAS

L) Lacey et al. (2012) Metaphorically feeling: comprehending textural metaphors activates somatosensory cortex. Brain and Language;120(3):416-21

R) Citron & Goldberg (2014) Metaphorical sentences are more emotionally engaging than their literal counterparts. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 26, 2585-2595

TEXT

1) Stephens et al. (2010) Speaker–listener neural coupling underlies successful communication. PNAS 107(32):14425-14430

2) Hasson et al. (2012) Brain-to-brain coupling: a mechanism for creating and sharing a social world. Trends in Cognitive Science. 16(2):114-121

STORIES ARE:‣more interesting

‣more understandable

‣more believable

‣more persuasiveDahlstrom & Ho (2012). Ethical considerations of using narrative to communicate science. Science Communication, 592–617.

THE SET-UP CONFRONTATION RESOLUTION

Science Communication34(5) 592 –617

© 2012 SAGE PublicationsReprints and permission:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.navDOI: 10.1177/1075547012454597

http://scx.sagepub.com

454597 SCX34510.1177/1075547012454597Science CommunicationDahlstrom and Ho© 2011 SAGE Publications

Reprints and permission: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

1Iowa State University, Ames, USA2Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Corresponding Author:Michael F. Dahlstrom, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University, 215 Hamilton Hall, Ames, IA 50010, USA Email: [email protected]

Ethical Considerations of Using Narrative to Communicate Science

Michael F. Dahlstrom1 and Shirley S. Ho2

AbstractThis article discusses three ethical considerations science communicators face when considering narrative as a communication technique for science policy contexts: (a) What is the underlying purpose of using narrative: com-prehension or persuasion? (b) What are the appropriate levels of accuracy to maintain? (c) Should narrative be used at all? These considerations intersect with perceptions of the appropriate roles of communication and of scien-tists within democracy. By providing a clearer articulation of these ethical considerations, the authors hope that narrative can become a more useful communication technique toward informed science policy decisions.

Keywordsscience, communication, narrative, policy, ethics

There is a growing sense that scientific information is not contributing what it should to controversial science policy. Social controversies surrounding topics such as climate change, evolution, and vaccinations are often claimed to exemplify either an ignorance of scientific data or its outright rejection (Baker, 2008; Forrest, 2001; Mooney, 2005; Zimmer, 2011). Science can

at UNIV WASHINGTON LIBRARIES on July 3, 2015scx.sagepub.comDownloaded from

HOW TO USE STORIES EFFECTIVELY?

everyone

ADVICE & EXAMPLES

TOM SEAGERARIZONA STATE

BETH KARLIN

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ThreeThoughtsonStorytelling

BethKarlin,Ph.D. [email protected]

Three Thoughts on Storytelling

1.There’s always a story.

2.Less is (usually) more.

3.Stories have structures.

But first…

There’s always a story


Ariely (2008)

16%

0%

84%


Ariely (2008)

16%

0%

84%


68%

32%

0%

Ariely (2008)

You have 60 seconds…

Keep it simple

You have 60 seconds…

Keep it simple

8 seconds…

MARSHALL GANZ // THE NEW ORGANIZING INSTITUTE

Self Us Now

The Story of . . .


Self Us Now

The Story of . . .


Get Personal Find Common Ground

Present a Call to Action


1.Control the narrative.

2.Keep it simple.

3.Structure your story.

Maybe stories are just data with a

soul.

Brene Brown

ThankYou!BethKarlin,Ph.D. [email protected]

LARA FOWLERPENN STATE

Conflict & Narrative: The Stories We Tell

• LaraB.Fowler– SeniorLecturer,PennStateLaw– ResearchFellow,PennStateInstitutesofEnergyandtheEnvironment

Chehalis Basin Flood Hazard Mitigation Alternatives Report (2012): http://ruckelshauscenter.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chehalis-report-12-19-121.pdf

Chehalis Basin Flood Hazard Mitigation Alternatives Report (2012): http://ruckelshauscenter.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/chehalis-report-12-19-121.pdf

Chehalis Flood, 2007 Chehalis Chronicle

Chehalis River Flooding- Dec. 2007

Bruce Ely, The Oregonian

Carpenter&Kennedy,UnderstandingPublicDisputes,pg.12

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/03flood.html?_r=0

Catastrophic impacts across the food, energy, water nexus… what to do?

A view from my world

Substance:Whataretheissues?



People/Relationship:Whoisinvolved?

Whatisthedynamicbetweenthem?



People/Relationship:Whoisinvolved?

Whatisthedynamicbetweenthem?

Process:Howdoyougetthere?


• Slowdown/stopexpansionoftheconflict

• Establishcommunication

– Partiesworkfacetofacetoworkoutdifferences

• Defineissues

– Focusonsolvingtheproblem

• Addexpertisewhereneeded

– Scientific

– Legal

• Facilitateeffectivemeetings

– Decisionmakerisfacilitator

– Partiesworktogethertoshapetheprocess

• Decisionsmadebyconsensus(…)

Framework for Managing Public Conflicts

Carpenter&Kennedy,UnderstandingPublicDisputes,pg.12

Roles: Mediator or Facilitator

• Mediator-3rdpartyneutralprotectedbymediationprivilege



– Mediation:“aprocessinwhichamediatorfacilitatescommunicationand

negotiationbetweenpartiestoassisttheminreachingavoluntary

agreementregardingtheirdispute”(UniformMediationAct)






– Mediationprivilege(i.e.,42Pa.C.S.§5949)• Statutoryprotectionagainstbeingforcedtotestifyincourtexceptforcertain

circumstances(threatofviolence,etc.)

• Alsolimitswhatmediatorscansay






– Mediationprivilege(i.e.,42Pa.C.S.§5949)• Statutoryprotectionagainstbeingforcedtotestifyincourtexceptforcertain

circumstances(threatofviolence,etc.)

• Alsolimitswhatmediatorscansay

• Facilitation-3rdpartyneutraltohelpfacilitatediscussions

Role of a neutral 3rd party (or you!)• Identifyingparties

• Helpingidentifyissuessubjecttonegotiate

• Improvingcommunication

• Translating/reframinginformationamongtheparties

• Exploringinterests

• Helpinggenerateoptionsforeachissue

• Realitytesting

• Buildingtrust

• Legitimizingagreements

• Ensuringimplementation

From Sean F. Nolon, Second Best Practices?: Addressing Mediation’s Definitional Problems in Environmental Siting Disputes 49 IDAHO L. REV. 69 (2012)

Returning to our story…

April 21, 2011

Lesson Learned… Community building matters, and matters a lot

Because there is no magic fairy wand, what do I do?

Think about effective meetings


Prepare, and prepare an agenda



Think about room space



Think about room space

Figure out how to work with everyone in the room

Pay attention to what you see, and what you don’t…

Selfridge and Sokolik, 1975 and W.L. French and C.H. Bell in 1979, from http://zestnzen.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/how-to-understand-cross-cultural-communication/

Pay attention to what you see, and what you don’t…

Don’t get mad. Get curious.

“Fearisthepathtothedarkside.Fearleadstoanger.Angerleads

tohate.Hateleadstosuffering.”


“Fearisthepathtothedarkside.Fearleadstoanger.Angerleads

tohate.Hateleadstosuffering.”

- Yoda,StarWarsEpisodeV:TheEmpireStrikesBack


Ask questions, and then really listen!

• CanImakesureI’munderstandingwhatwediscussed?

– [Thenprovideasummary]




• IthoughtIheardyousay…DidIunderstandcorrectly?





• Youjustsaid….;whatdoyoumeanbythis?






• Canyoutellmore?






• Canyoutellmore?

• Icanimaginewhatthatmightmeantome,butcanyoutellme

whatthismeanstoyou?






• Canyoutellmore?

• Icanimaginewhatthatmightmeantome,butcanyoutellme

whatthismeanstoyou?

• [sayingnothing]-silenceisapowerfultool


ResourcesAFewEnvironmentalMediationRelated:

• Carpenter&Kennedy,ManagingPublicDisputes

• Levy,Susskindetal,NegotiatingEnvironmentalAgreements:HowtoAvoidEscalatingConfrontation,

NeedlessCosts,andUnnecessaryLitigation...

InterestBasedNegotiation/Discussions

• Fisher&Ury,GettingtoYes

• Fisher&Ury,GettingPastNo

• Pattonetal,DifficultConversations:HowtoGettotheHeartofWhatMattersMost

Websites

• EPAConflictResolutionandPreventionCenter:http://www.epa.gov/adr

• USInstituteforEnvironmentalConflictResolution:https://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/Institute/

Institute.aspx

• ConsensusBuildingInstitute:http://www.cbuilding.org/

• HarvardProgramonNegotiation:http://www.pon.harvard.edu/

START WHERE YOU ARE USE WHAT YOU HAVE DO WHAT YOU CAN

Arthur Ashe

FINAL THOUGHTS

finding narratives at the nexus: telling stories about our work can help us do it better

Career