Tell Me a Story

Ever notice how no event, no fact, ever goes unadorned by a narrative? Anything you see you try to associate a story with it.

In Chapter 3 Em Griffin introduces Ernest Bormann’s Symbolic Convergence Theory, or “fantasy theme analysis”. Basically it is a theory about how groups use stories. Fantasy doesn’t mean that they share things that aren’t true, which is the common meaning of fantasy to the general public. Instead it is used in a scientific and literary sense, “the creative and imaginative interpretation of events that fulfill a psychological or rhetorical need.”

So what does the “symbolic convergence”  mean? It is “the linguistic process by which group members develop a sense of community or closeness; cohesiveness, unity, solidarity.” in other words, how they use the symbols of words and word pictures to establish their sense of community.

In literary parlance this is “narrative building.” Every group creates stories about itself, stories of self-identification.  How these stories work is what “symbolic convergence” explains. These stories may have more or less resonance with those outside the group, but may have great persuasive and identifying powers within the group.

Convergence that goes beyond a single group gains the term rhetorical vision: “A composite drama  that catches up multiple groups of people into a common symbolic reality.”

Businesses try to take advantage of this. They promote their vision, set goals, want to “tell our story.” They interpret the fact in a way compelling to employees, and hopefully customers.

The whole concept resonates deeply with me. This Tell Me a Story idea is something bred into me from a young age. You see, I have a unique last name, and my grandfather passed on the story, the legend of how our first ancestor earned that name.  It is a legacy, a history, a common bond that is part of what makes and binds our family together. The right story has great power.

References

Griffin, E. (2009). Communication, communication, communication: A first look at communication theory. (7th ed., p. 27-29). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.