Storytelling Networks and Social Capital for Disaster Resilience: Empowering Narrative Agency in Diverse Communities

Jenny Zhengye Hou and Greg Hearn
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Jenny Zhengye Hou: School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Greg Hearn: School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Media and Communication, 2026, vol. 14

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: disaster resilience; diverse communities; narrative agency; social capital; storytelling networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:meanco:v14:y:2026:a:11508

DOI: 10.17645/mac.11508

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