Science V. Story: Narrative Strategies for Science CommunicatorsUncovering common threads across types of science skepticism to show why these controversial narratives stick and how we can more effectively counter them through storytelling Science v. Story analyzes four scientific controversies—climate change, evolution, vaccination, and COVID-19—through the lens of storytelling. Instead of viewing stories as adversaries to scientific practices, Emma Frances Bloomfield demonstrates how storytelling is integral to science communication. Drawing from narrative theory and rhetorical studies, Science v. Story examines scientific stories and rival stories, including disingenuous rival stories that undermine scientific conclusions and productive rival stories that work to make science more inclusive. Science v. Story offers two tools to evaluate and build stories: narrative webs and narrative constellations. These visual mapping tools chart the features of a story (i.e., characters, action, sequence, scope, storyteller, and content) to locate opportunities for audience engagement. Bloomfield ultimately argues that we can strengthen science communication by incorporating storytelling in critical ways that are attentive to audience and context. |
Contents
Case Studies and Rival Stories | 32 |
Character and Action Wedges | 51 |
Sequence and Scope Wedges | 82 |
Storyteller and Content Wedges | 113 |
Constellation Practices | 143 |
Science and Story | 177 |
Notes | 199 |
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Science V. Story: Narrative Strategies for Science Communicators Emma Frances Bloomfield Limited preview - 2024 |
Common terms and phrases
action wedges American American Meteorological Society Answers in Genesis Anthropocene anti-vaccine argued audiences autism Centers for Disease change's character and action Citizen Science climate change Climate Change Denial Climate Skeptics Climategate constellation Coronavirus COVID COVID-19 vaccines create Creation Creation Museum creationist credibility discourse discussed Disease Control disingenuous rival stories effects Emma Frances Bloomfield emphasize ence Environmental evolution evolutionary example experiences Fauci Fisher groups Heartland Institute herd immunity https://doi https://www hub spiral human Indigenous individual Journal Ken Ham mapped meso-ring and macro-ring micro-ring million Naomi Oreskes narrative features narrative webs National Academy natural noted numbers pandemic parents people’s perceptions Pew Research Center political potential relevant religious Rhetoric risks Routledge science communication science storytellers science’s stories scientific consensus scientific controversies scientific information scientific stories scientific topics sequence and scope social specific story’s storytellers studies tell temporal tion uncertainty vaccination controversy vaccine hesitancy vaccine skeptics VaxTruth virus