I'm on leave for the next several weeks, so I have queued up a series of "reboot" posts, revisiting evergreen material of mine from this blog and other corners of the interwebs.
Earlier this year, I mused (or ranted?) about the way scicomm seems to have overcomplicated storytelling as a tool or device for making connection, sharing information, stimulating (and exploring curiosity), etc.
That rant was prompted by this paper I co-authored and more recently my leading a storytelling workshop. A recording of that workshop is available for free online, here!
Yes, I know it's a bit circular to say "no story, yes story" but that's essentially the point. We can tell stories in ways that are meaningful and vital to scicomm (see our paper for a step-by-step model).
And yet, most of how we train people around storytelling overcomplicates what is a fundamental component of being human -- connection through storytelling to make sense of place, experience, belonging, and retain history. There are some elements of that workshop I led that can help thread the needle here. In particular, I point to a range of research that folks are doing on how story functions as a rhetorical device in both #SciComm/outreach and in research communications. These are both distinct situations for communication and connection and yet, at the same time, very much like any human interaction. Remembering that we are human is vital to ethical and inclusive science, academia, and #SciComm.
So, you can choose your own adventure here: indulge in the history and research around use of story in scicomm, then ponder why I'm a tad cranky about how we present it. Or, dip into my critique first, so you have some context for the workshop that didn't actually make it into the workshop itself. (Next time!)
Also, a shameless plug: my fall trainings calendar is pretty open still. Here's a link to my 2024 scicomm workshops or enhancing academia workshops, if you're looking for a trainer. And, here's a link to recent speaking topics I've covered in keynotes, plenaries, and department seminars on, if you're looking to fill a fall or spring slot with someone with lots of lively, thought-provoking, evidence-based (cuz we all love us a citation or 5!) opinions and ideas to share.
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