Advancing the Narrative Policy Framework? The Musings of a Potentially Unreliable Narrator

Abstract

Inspired by postmodernism and the seemingly contradictory charter of science, the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) was named in a 2010 issue of the Policy Studies Journal for the purposes of understanding the role of narrative in the policy process. Since its inception we have seen a proliferation of research applications. In this issue of the PSJ you will find some of the best representatives of those applications. Studies within show a productive merging of NPF with other theories, refinement of concepts, sophisticated methodologies, and an expanding list of policy areas to which the NPF is being applied. You will also see examples of the NPF being clear enough to be wrong and—at times—being wrong. Among other observations, I argue that findings herein illuminate gaps in our understanding of narrative's role in the policy process, including a need for more refined strategy theory, a better understanding of the intersection between framing theory and the NPF, and a need to directly address the NPF's ongoing struggle to deal with varied contexts. I argue that to develop more generalizable narrative concepts that the division between interpretive and scientific approaches to the study of policy must continue to be overcome.

The stories groups tell: campaign finance reform and the narrative networks of cultural cognition

“…Narratives are the primary means by which human beings make sense of the world (e.g., Jones 2018;Shanahan et al 2018b;White 1981White , 1987. The NPF measures this sense-making through narrative content and form.…”

“…The NPF posits four main narrative elements that constitute form: characters (e.g., a villain who causes a harm; a victim who is harmed; and a hero whose action helps the victim and stops the villain); the moral of the story, or the policy solution (what the hero does to address the harm); the setting of the tale (where the narrative takes place); and the plot (which lays out the interactions over time between characters and the setting). Within the NPF, these elements are fundamental facets of narrative that can be identified, quantified, and compared across policy areas (Jones 2018;Shanahan et al 2018b).…”

Storytelling and Policy Transfer

“…This article addresses this gap by applying the NPF. The NPF is a public policy theory for investigating the role of policy narratives in the policy process (Jones, 2018). The framework has the potential capability and efficacy for a consistent approach to examining communication among transfer actors.…”

“…The NPF was borne from an understanding of the social construction of policy realities (Jones, 2018). It is positioned as a public policy framework for exploring the role of narratives in the policy process (Shanahan et al, 2017).…”

“…Storytelling is a universal means of communication (Jones, 2018). Stories are used to "organize, process, and convey information" (Jones & McBeth 2010, p.329) and policy actors can organise information through stories presented in policy narratives (Kaplan 1986;McBeth et al 2014).…”