(= R POS 235) Political Storytelling

Catalog description

Stories are powerful. Narrative helps us connect with others, understand complicated issues, and mobilize for action. It shapes how we understand our identities, communities, past and current challenges, and future possibilities. Whether crafted by a candidate to secure election or developed by a social movement to expand their base, a good story skillfully shared can create lasting and meaningful political change. This course is a survey of the building blocks of narrative – character, plot, setting, voice, facts, tropes, structure, and metaphors – viewed through the lens of historical and contemporary political stories. We'll focus specifically on the relationship between political inequality and storytelling as we explore messages about public welfare, crime, class, security, rights, family, gender, power, environment, race, and money.