The Place of Stories and Informal Conversations in the Social Sciences During Pandemics in Africa

Pandemics have necessitated that social scientists conduct fieldwork differently. Pandemics profoundly impact individuals’ lives, warranting an in-depth study of the experiences, attitudes, and feelings as people imagine a new future. Stories and storytelling, when used as research tools and methods, can do more than convey scientific information. They can also evoke experiences, emotions and imaginations about pandemics and their possible futures. This paper defines stories and storytelling as the verbal telling of personal stories, a method that mostly calls for participant observation. Stories and storytelling in communicating social science and health research have primarily been delivered through podcasts and blogs. Few studies have examined the use of stories to inform research articles, particularly in social science research on public health issues. This article reviews the need to employ independent tools or integrate stories to address pandemics. This paper found that stories and storytelling often help individuals bring to the fore not only much-needed scientific information but also explore deeper issues in research, including feelings, attitudes, individual experiences, and imaginative futures

Feeling · Pandemic · Participant observation · Qualitative research · Science communication · Social media · Storytelling · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Qualitative Research Methods and Applications · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics

• Fantasies of Salvation

  Vladimir Tismaneanu•Fantasies of Salvation•1998

  Incluir item

• Supporting best practice in reflexive thematic analysis reporting in Palliative Medicine

  Open Access•Braun, Victoria Clarke•Palliative Medicine•2024

  Incluir item

• Narrative Medicine

  Rita Charon•JAMA•2001

  Incluir item

• From kinship networks to culture of relatedness

  Open Access•Agnetta Adiedo Nyabundi, Agnetta Nyabundi•Frontiers in Public Health•2023

  Incluir item

• Research Through, With and As Storying

  Open Access•Louise G Phillips, Tracey Bunda•Research Through, with and As…•2018

  Incluir item

• Storytelling Neighborhood

  Open Access•Sandra J Ball-Rokeach, Sandra J Ball‐rokeach et al.•Communication Research•2001

  Incluir item

• Storying Covid-19

  Open Access•Maja Essebo•Sustainability Science•2021

  Incluir item

• Digital Storytelling as a Social Work Tool

  Open Access•Caroline Lenette, L Cox et al.•The British Journal of Social Work•2015

  Incluir item

• Gender, Narrative Space, and Modern Hausa Literature

  Ousseina Alidou•Research in African Literatures•2002

  Incluir item

• Ego Psychology and the Study of Mythology

  Open Access•Jacob A Arlow•Journal of the American…•1961

  Incluir item

• Using thematic analysis in psychology

  Open Access•Braun, Virginia Braun et al.•Qualitative Research in Psychology•2006

  Incluir item

• The Ethnographic I

  Carolyn Ellis•The Ethnographic I•2004

  Incluir item

• Using stories, narratives, and storytelling in energy and climate change research

  Open Access•Mithra Moezzi, Kathryn B Janda et al.•Energy Research & Social Science•2017

  Incluir item

• Blinded by Sight

  Open Access•Francis B Nyamnjoh•Africa Spectrum•2012

  Incluir item