Storytelling Networks and Social Capital for Disaster Resilience

Empowering Narrative Agency in Diverse Communities

Bibliographic Data

ID17823243
AuthorsJenny Zhengye Hou (0000-0003-0276-6344, Queensland University of Technology, corresponding author), Greg Hearn (0000-0003-2245-3433, Queensland University of Technology)
Year2026
Volume14
Publication date2026-02-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia and Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2183-2439 • E-ISSN: 2183-2439
PublisherCogitatio (PUBLISHER • PT)
DOI10.17645/mac.11508
OpenAlexW7127603543
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

Prior studies have established the importance of social capital in fostering disaster resilience especially among diverse and marginalised populations. Yet, most have focused on its structural dimension, treating social capital as a pre-existing attribute. Limited attention has been given to its communicative underpinning—how shared meaning-making, particularly through storytelling networks as open and participatory spaces, actively constitutes social capital. Addressing this gap, this study draws on storytelling networks theory and the notion of narrative agency to examine how community self-organised storytelling networks, comprising agents, stories, and practices, shape collective sensemaking as the foundation of social capital. Based on 36 in-depth interviews with community members, emergency practitioners, and service providers, the study reconceptualises social capital through a participatory storytelling lens and advances a critical understanding of narrative agency amid power asymmetries. It also offers practical insights into how diverse storytelling agents co-make social capital and outlines directions for future research

Citizen journalism · Narrative · Narrative inquiry · Sensemaking · Social capital · Social change · Storytelling · Community and Sustainable Development · Disaster Management and Resilience · Public Relations and Crisis Communication