The power of stories: A framework to orchestrate reflection in urban storytelling to form stronger communities

Figures & data

Figure 1. The EPPD Reflective Storytelling framework to support the design of public storytelling to orchestrate reflection and form stronger communities. Note that not all four elements are always needed for reflection to happen.

Table 1. Participants for the study and their role in Haags Verhaal.

Participant	Role	Participant	Role
P1	Audience	P9	Audience
P2	Volunteer, Audience	P10	Volunteer, Audience
P3	Volunteer	P11	Storyteller, Volunteer
P4	Audience	P12	Audience
P5	Volunteer, Audience	P13	Storyteller
P6	Storyteller	P14	Volunteer, Audience
P7	Volunteer	P15	Audience
P8	Storyteller, Audience	P16	Storyteller

Table 2. The steps taken in the analysis and division of tasks between researchers.

Analysis step	Who	Activity
Read through transcripts (first time)	Two researchers independently	Get a first impression
Read through transcripts (second time)	Two researchers independently	Mark notable quotes and open coding based on units of analysis
Summarize interviews	Two researchers independently	Write summary of each interview based on units of analysis
Meeting 1	Two researchers	Discuss and compare written summaries, quotes and codes. Formulate main topics.
Create theme-based transcripts	One researcher	Restructure transcripts from participant division to topic division
Read through theme-based	Two researchers	Note down codes, concepts, themes related to anal-
transcripts (first time)	independently	ysis framework
Summarize theme-based	Two researchers	Write summary of main storyline for each topic
transcripts	independently	and compare to alternative storylines
Meeting 2	Two researchers	Discuss summaries and storylines, develop final coding scheme
Read through theme-based	Two researchers	Find relations between themes and concepts: ex-
transcripts (second time)	independently	amples, contradictions, causations, consequences
Meeting 3	Two researchers	Discuss final concepts, themes and their relations. Formulate final coding scheme
Read through theme-based transcripts (third time)	Two researchers independently	Closed coding using the final coding scheme
Memo writing	One researcher	Document final coding scheme with memos
Meeting 4	Two researchers	Discuss final closed coding and memos to complete analysis

Table 3. Final coding scheme, categories and subcategories align with EPPD framework.

Subcategory	Number of mentions	P numbers	Example quote
Category 1: Storytelling form to orchestrate reflection
Equality	14	P1-3, P6-7, P9, P11, P13, P15-16	“During an event people are equal, there is no distinction.” (P16, storyteller)
Intimacy	11	P2, P5, P9, P16	“The personal stories create some kind of intimacy, shared with the whole audience.” (P5, volunteer)
Exchange between communities	31	P1-7, P9-12, P14-15	“Talking lets the communities experience that they may have a lot more in common than they think.” (P1, audience)
Being listened to	2	P1, P6, P8, P11, P13, P16	“How often do people actually listen to you? I think not often.” (P5, volunteer)
Process past experiences	6	P5, P8, P13, P16	“I could look back at that phase of my life.” (P8, storyteller)
Change perception	11	P6, P13, P16	“Many people don’t think well about the real estate world. I felt the urge to show a different side.” (P6, storyteller)
Sharing own experience	11	P1, P8, P11, P13, P16	“I wanted to show people how proud I am to be married to an Arabic man.” (P16, storyteller)
Dare to tell story	16	P2-3, P5-6,P8-9, P11, P13-4, P16	“I was not nervous to tell my story, because I am used to present for an audience.” (P8, storyteller)
Role interviewers	25	P1, P3-6, P11, P13-14, P16	“The trick is to listen carefully and zoom-in on what is not told. I am always asking myself, what is interesting for the audience?”(P5, volunteer)
Category 2: Storytelling content to orchestrate reflection
Common subject of communities	5	P1-2, P4-5, P7,P10	“One event there was this gypsy from a thrift shop, but also an auction house, where they work with second-hand stuff as well, but in a different way.” (P1, audience)
Relatable	20	P2, P4-5, P7-9, P11-12, P14-16	“You could feel the vibe in the audience, people were recognizing things: I met my husband there, I always got my ice cream there as well.” (P9, audience)
Contrast between communities	16	P1-2, P4-7, P9-10, P12-14, P16	“Real estate and homeless people, it won’t get any extremer.” (P6, storyteller)
What do the communities mean for the city	10	P1-2, P4-P6, P10, P12-13	“It is not only about the personal stories, but also about what do the communities mean for The Hague, for each other and what they could mean for each other.” (P5,volunteer).
Balance between community and life story	26	P1-2, P4-6, P10, P12-13	“The life story of a person is very interesting, but it is not about the initiative they are connected to.” (P4, audience)
Societal relevance	17	P3, P10-12, P14-15	“Just look at the social problems that are there. How can we connect different layers in society?” (P15, audience)
Interest in life story	26	P2-9, P11-12, P16	“I don’t know if I am interested in the person itself, but I am really interested in their story.” (P7, volunteer)
Relevance for profession	17	P1-3, P12, P15	“I thought for my job it is very nice to see if you can reach different population groups in The Hague where I don’t always get access too.” (P3, volunteer)
Getting to know the city	24	P1-4, P7-9, P11, P14	“With Haags Verhaal I get to know the city a lot better.” (P10, volunteer)
Introduction to other cultures	37	P1-12, P14	“You get to know others, other cultures, things outside your own ‘bubble.’” (P1, audience)
Category 3: Orchestrating reflection
Supporting empathy	11	P5, P7, P9	“The stories create empathy: people get to know about each others existence and their ideals.” (P5, volunteer)
Challenging prejudices	18	P1-3, P5-6, P10- 11, P13, P15-16	“Ignorance is often the reason why people have prejudices towards each other. With the personal stories, you recognize things, which makes you stand in someone’s shoes.” (P5, volunteer)
Expanding perspectives	21	P1-2, P6-7, P10-16	“In my daily profession I also regularly do things around real estate and that you suddenly get a different perspective on things, well, that enriches.” (P2, volunteer)
Instigate dialogue	36	P1-4, P6-16	“I once approached a lady during a story event, but we could not have a conversation because she spoke only Chinese.” (P9, volunteer)
Purpose unclear	12	P1,P4	“Some people also think: so what is next? What are we going to do with this?” (P12, audience)
Effects unclear	29	P1, P3-5, P9-10, P12-14	“I think it is a great initiative, but I am wondering, does it really bring people closer together? Does it work?” (P15,audience)
Category 4: Social tie outcomes
New connections	21	P1-2, P6, P8-9, P12-16	“I got some connections from Haags Verhaal, but do not engage with them too often.” (P12, audience)
Establishing cross-connections	41	P1-7, P9-12, P14-15	“By confronting people, in a positive way, cross-connections can be established. This occurs more on some events than others.” (P10, volunteer)
Expanding network	8	P2-P3, P8, P11-12, P15	“The network of Haags Verhaal is very convenient for me.” (P3, volunteer)
Category 5: Emergent outcomes
Return to other events	19	P1-4, P8-11, P14-16	“I enjoyed the first story night I visited, so I became a regular visitor.” (P4, audience)
Becoming volunteer	17	P2-5, P7, P9-P12, P14-15	“I was about to retire, and I thought it would be fun to contribute as a volunteer.” (P10, volunteer)
Act as ambassador	15	P5, P7, P8, P9, P10, P12, P14, P15, P16	“People I tell about Haags Verhaal like the idea, but maybe that is because I tell with enthusiasm about the story nights.” (P9, volunteer)
Follow-up meetings	19	P3, P5-7, P9-12, P14, P16	“We had a follow-up meeting with the other community that was present that event: we visited them and they went to visit us.” (P9, audience)
First step new initiative	8	P2, P5, P6, P12	“I later talked to the organizer of Haags Verhaal to see if we could do something similar as well.” (P3, volunteer)
Inspiration for other projects		P2-3, P6, P8, P12,P15	“Some audience members who visited several story nights got inspired and want to create a similar platform in their own neighborhood.” (P2, volunteer)

Figure 2. Specific parts of the content and form of the Haags Verhaal storytelling events orchestrated reflection to form social ties.