2.3: Public Narrative
- Page ID
- 245727
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)
One important aspect of visionary leadership is your ability to tell your own personal story in a way that engages others and inspires them to action. If you want people to get involved with something you are working on, your own example of why that issue matters to you, and what got you to be involved, is one of the most effective ways to move others to action. The more sincere, vulnerable, and relatable you are, the more you are likely to inspire others to take action.
Public narrative is a technique for practicing this. This common organizing tool of using personal stories to motivate others was given the name Public Narrative by the legendary organizer Marshal Ganz. Ganz grew up in Fresno California and went away to Harvard for college. Before completing his Bachelor’s degree, he dropped out to join the civil rights movement. Then in 1965, he moved back to California’s Central Valley to become an organizer for the United Farm Workers. After doing that and other organizing work for many years, Ganz finally returned to Harvard in 1991 to finish his Bachelor's degree and go on to get Masters and Doctoral degrees. Since that time he has taught organizing at Harvard.
A Public narrative is a speech that has 3 parts: the story of me, the story of us, and the story of now (Adapted from workshop by Marshall Ganz)
The Story of Me is where you tell why you're interested in the issue you are trying to mobilize support for. You tell something personal that gets the listeners to feel your passion for the work and to understand why you have that passion.
In The Story of Us you bring the listener in and give them a sense of how the issue you are working on will impact the listeners. It tells them why they should care about what you are working on. You should pull on their heartstrings. Imagine your audience as someone who has never even thought of this as an issue. Many people often forget that there’s a lot of things going on outside of their own lives that they might have never experienced.
The Story of Now is your “ask.” What do you need from them? Do you need support on a petition? Attendance at an event? Inviting them to come to join your organization? It really can be anything. It's okay if this part is made up, you just want to leave your listeners with a task to do.
One aspect of the Public narrative that is very important for Ganz is that you show a place where you faced a challenge, had a choice to make and you chose to take action. When you show others that when they face a challenge they can make a choice, that helps them to see that it is possible to make a difference in difficult situations. For your public narrative you can integrate a point where you faced a challenge and made a choice or you can leave that aspect out. Here is Marshall Ganz’ full description of the Public Narrative. In my ICS 27 file Ganz Public Narrative
Here are some examples of Public Narratives from Cynthia Kaufman’s class:
Here is an example of a public narrative from Cesar Cruz. He is the director of Homies United and did this public narrative while he was studying with Marshall Ganza at Harvard.
Public Narrative Example Cesar Cruz
Major Activity: Develop a Public Narrative- a three minute, three part speech that is related to something you want to motivate others to be involved with. If you are doing civic engagement for this class, then make sure it is related to the work you are doing for that. The story of now can be a made up ask if there is nothing relevant to invite people to do.
Write a draft of a public narrative and bring to class: Write this narrative in respect to the work you are doing for your engagement project. Include the following three sections in the narrative: a “story of me,” a “story of us,” and a “story of now.”
Attributions:
Ganz credit statement: The following work [this workshop guide] is provided to you pursuant to the following terms and conditions. Your acceptance of the work constitutes your acceptance of these terms:
- You may reproduce and distribute the work to others for free, but you may not sell the work
- to others.
- You may not remove the legends from the work that provide attribution as to source (i.e., “originally adapted from the works of Marshall Ganz of Harvard University”).
- You may modify the work, provided that the attribution legends remain on the work, and provided further that you send any significant modifications or updates to marshall_ganz@harvard.edu or Marshall Ganz, Hauser Center, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
- You hereby grant an irrevocable, royalty-free license to Marshall Ganz and New Organizing
- Institute, and their successors, heirs, licensees and assigns, to reproduce, distribute and modify the work as modified by you.
- You shall include a copy of these restrictions with all copies of the work that you distribute and you shall inform everyone to whom you distribute the work that they are subject to the restrictions and obligations set forth herein.
- If you have any questions about these terms, please contact marshall_ganz@harvard.edu or Marshall Ganz, Hauser Center,3