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The Power of Strategic Storytelling (549-0-1)

Instructors

Nathan Walter

Meeting Info

Frances Searle Building 2370: Mon 9:00AM - 11:50AM

Overview of class

Humans are innate storytellers and narratives have played a vital role in transmitting crucial information for thousands of years. Indeed, human-beings are creatures who naturally think about the world in story elements and who rely on narrative structures in order to explain their surrounding world and the actions of those who inhabit that world. In various contexts, research has repeatedly demonstrated that engaging stories may be especially valuable as they facilitate processing of new, difficult, or controversial information, produce longer-lasting effects, and encourage adoption of story-consistent attitudes and behaviors. Informed by the media psychology perspective, this course will examine core texts, story factors, audience characteristics, and processes underlying narrative persuasion, as well as ongoing inconsistencies and debates. The questions posted by the literature and the current media landscape in many ways will set the agenda for this course.

Class Materials (Required)

No required textbook. Course pack will be provided via Canvas.