Unlocking The Power Of Narratives For Animals
Narratives are common understandings of “how things are” in a given society. In other words, they are the frame through which we perceive the world around us. They can be simple (like the notion that sharks are dangerous), or deeper and more complex, informing our understanding of what is natural or common sense (like the notion that humans are separate from nature).
Narratives play a pivotal role in guiding the public’s attitudes and actions. They create a shared sense of purpose for people in a given society. Furthermore, a cohesive narrative can make a social movement more impactful by helping advocates communicate ideas in a more persuasive way.
Recognizing that narratives play a profound role in how we interpret stories and events, U.K.-based Animal Think Tank set out to explore the most effective messages to use in the animal freedom movement. Their Narrative Research Report summarizes a year’s worth of investigations geared toward identifying and shifting dominant cultural narratives.
An integral part of the research involved surveying the current animal-related narratives in the United Kingdom. Animal Think Tank surveyed 500 participants who answered 100 questions about their beliefs and attitudes toward other animals. Overall, participants displayed strong beliefs that animals are sentient and agreed with the importance of improving the welfare of factory-farmed animals.
However, the respondents could be clustered into one of two groups based on their confidence in various narratives. One group believed that consuming non-human animals is justified, that we should prioritize humans over other species, and that animal products are essential to the economy. In contrast, the other group displayed stronger confidence in animal sentience, animal rights, and the ethical preference toward a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.
The researchers also investigated the best way to change people’s minds about animals. They tested the effectiveness of different narratives on 14,500 individuals. For example, one narrative read: “Society is evolving and becoming fairer all the time…Recognising the rights of animals is the next stage in our progress towards a fairer world,” while another read: “All animals can suffer in a similar way and to a similar degree that humans do…We are morally obligated to take them into account.” After viewing one of the narratives, participants filled out a questionnaire to gauge their attitudes and beliefs about animals.
The findings revealed that narratives emphasizing animals’ capabilities, the idea that we have a moral responsibility to treat animals how we’d want to be treated, and the notion that animal freedom is a key step on our way to global justice were the most effective. Attempts to appeal to people’s identities, such as “vegan-hearted” or “animal love” did not affect the respondents significantly. Finally, concepts of speciesism and discrimination were unproductive and even detrimental to the goal of increasing people’s pro-animal sentiments.
Drawing from these results, Animal Think Tank developed a framework to come up with persuasive messaging about animal freedom. Called the “Narrative Architecture for Animal Freedom,” it recommends highlighting animals’ capacity to feel and think while contextualizing the movement within themes of social progress, the hope for a fairer future, and our moral obligation to animals. Additionally, insights from other movements may help to inform animal freedom narratives. One such narrative, for example, is the idea that society has a power imbalance and needs to be redesigned to create a fairer system for all.
As we strive for a world where animals are treated with compassion and respect, it’s important to think about how we frame the information we’re sharing with the public. Advocates should use narratives that resonate with people, unify society, and persuade our audience to our side. Unpacking what types of narratives work is an ongoing project for Animal Think Tank, but one thing is clear: By understanding the power narratives have, we can take steps forward in creating a more just world for all living creatures.