Storying COVID-19: fear, digitalisation, and the transformational potential of storytelling

Abstract

Stories are being increasingly recognised for their potential as creators, not only depicters, of change. As such, they are receiving greater interest within sustainability science, not least in the approaches specifically focused on transformative processes of co-creation. But while highly powerful, stories are confined by both inherent and external frameworks that, if not acknowledged, limit their transformative potential. This paper addresses two such critical issues—fear and digitalisation—and discusses the ways in which they influence how and with what effects stories can be told. It uses the COVID-19 pandemic as illustration of storytelling processes and outlines some of the ways in which we can, and cannot, draw parallels between pandemic and climate change storytelling.

When uncertainty becomes the norm: The Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital’s Speech Therapy and Audiology Department’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Stories are being increasingly recognised for their potential as creators of change as they guide small, everyday decisions and practices (Essebo, 2021 ). We hope that our story will encourage others to tell theirs so that we could strengthen the narrative of practice within context.…”

Beyond “blah blah blah”: exploring the “how” of transformation

“…Maja Essebo’s ( 2021 ) article on “Storying COVID-19: fear, digitalization, and the transformational potential of storytelling” picks up on this theme and considers what we can learn about the proliferation of stories from COVID-19. Focusing on everyday stories that help to make sense of experiences and beliefs, she emphasizes that the transformative potential of stories is complex and messy.…”

“…Though there is a growing desire to tell stories that transform the world, or “tell things into being”, Essebo calls for greater attention to the elements of stories, including the element of fear. She recognizes that people tend to shy away from stories that challenge worldviews, and instead prefer the security of echo chambers, where “fear can be faced through shared perceptions of good and evil” (Essebo 2021 , p 4). If storytelling is an effective way of dealing with fear, digitalization represents a new medium accessible to storytellers and non-human actors alike in the form of algorithms.…”

“…Reminding us that transformative practices must demonstrate and narrate the ability to effect change in the face of fear, she warns against the false binary of stories and truth: “Misinformation must be challenged, but doing so includes understanding it for its narrative purpose and use. Alternative facts need to be met with alternative stories” (Essebo 2021 , p 10). Whereas storytelling may be viewed as a means to an end, how we engage with its power and complexity will shape its transformative potential.…”

Academic Framing as a Cause of Eco-Anxiety

“…What are the public health implications of these observations? I argue here that researchers should be wary of how they can contribute to eco-anxiety by the way they frame their research and their narratives of the evidence [ 4 , 5 ].…”