Margins to Mainstream Through Storytelling
Digital storytelling has emerged as a powerful medium for conveying personal narratives, especially for marginalized populations. In our recent podcast episode featuring Carmen Logie, we delve into how these stories can be used to combat stigma and foster understanding within communities. Carmen, with her extensive background in research and advocacy for HIV-related health issues, discusses the importance of sharing experiences that connect people and build empathy. By utilizing digital tools to narrate personal journeys, individuals can reclaim ownership of their stories while also bridging the gap between different societal groups. One striking insight shared by Carmen revolves around her first experience with digital storytelling while working with women living with HIV. This pivotal moment not only helped her articulate her motivation for stigma-related research but also illuminated the profound impact storytelling can have on community dynamics. Stories like hers remind us that behind every statistic and research finding, there lies a unique human experience that can inspire action and change.
Moreover, the episode highlights her recent projects in Kenya, focusing on using participatory storytelling methods with LGBTQ youth, teen mothers, and other marginalized groups. With the goal of addressing HIV and sexual health, Carmen and her collaborators guided youth through the process of creating digital stories, allowing them to articulate their challenges and solutions creatively. The power of collective storytelling emerged as a significant theme throughout their workshops. By working in groups, participants not only had their voices amplified but also shared the courage to confront stigmatization collaboratively, thus enriching the storytelling process. A critical takeaway from the discussion was the need for engagement on both emotional and educational levels when addressing complex social issues such as stigma and health. As Carmen mentions, it is vital to foster conversations that do not only dwell on narratives of suffering but also celebrate resilience and recovery. This approach helps reshape perception and encourages individuals to reflect on their roles in either perpetuating or combating stigma.
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Another highlight of the episode is the technology behind digital storytelling and how it empowers both facilitators and participants. Carmen explains how visual elements, audio training, and an understanding of narrative structures can enhance the storytelling experience, fostering deeper connections among creators and audiences alike. The digital stories created can often be more efficient and impactful than traditional research findings, as they capture the essence of lived experiences through creative expression. Furthermore, sharing these stories back to the communities allows for vital feedback and reflection, facilitating a loop of narrative rehabilitation that resonates widely. By showcasing these collective representations, advocacy groups can utilize the stories to further their missions while raising awareness of social issues. Carmen’s work underscores the importance of empathy in research and highlights how digital storytelling serves not merely as a means of crafting narratives but as a tool for advocacy, education, and empowerment. She plans to continue this critical work, seeking to find even more innovative ways to share these stories and drive change in communities grappling with stigma and marginalization.
Episode 30 Key Messages
Discussion on Carmen Logie's background in stigma research and HIV advocacy
• The significance of digital storytelling in marginalized communities
• Carmen's first experience with digital storytelling and its lasting impact
• Overview of the digital storytelling workshop conducted in Kenya
• Methods used in storytelling workshops to engage participants
• The emotional and educational aspects of storytelling in stigma discussions
• The technology and creative processes involved in digital storytelling
• Importance of sharing stories back with communities for reflection and feedback
• Carmen’s vision for future storytelling projects and advocacy efforts
In conclusion, digital storytelling holds immense potential to transform how we understand and react to social stigmas. With the right support and focus, these narratives can stimulate discussions, provoke thought, and inspire action against persistent societal issues. As we continue to explore the intersection of storytelling, research, and activism, Carmen's experiences remind us all that our voices matter and can pave the way for a more inclusive dialogue about stigma and health.
About our Guest
Dr. Carmen Logie is the Canada Research Chair in Global Health Equity and Social Justice with Marginalized Populations, a Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Adjunct Professor at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, & Health, and Adjunct Scientist at Women’s College Hospital. She is particularly interested in addressing intersectional stigma and its sexual health impacts, with a focus on HIV testing, prevention practices, and care outcomes. Her current research projects focus on HIV prevention, testing and care cascades in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Canada with people living with HIV, refugee and displaced youth, climate-affected youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities, sex workers, and Indigenous youth. She has a podcast you can find everywhere podcasts are, called Everybody Hates Me: Let’s Talk About Stigma with guests on multiple forms of stigma, with more than 22,000 downloads.
About Co-Created
Co-Created is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of digital storytelling. On each episode, host Kristy Wolfe dives into conversations with the storytellers and facilitators who bring digital stories to life.
If this particular conversation resonated with you, tell a friend or a colleague about Co-Created or share one of the digital stories we were talking about. You can find the stories here.
Co-Created is presented by Common Language DST, digital storytelling facilitation training for health and wellness changemakers and is supported by the team at Snack Labs.
