Telling stories is human nature and can bring people together to foster greater connections. Gloria Anzaldua writes in This Bridge Called My Back, “We have come to realize that we are not alone in our struggles nor separate nor autonomous but that we...are connected and interdependent.” Story circles, a practice founded during the Civil Rights era, bring people together for connection. Participants will learn how story circles can be used as an alternative data collection strategy for qualitative research based on its initial use in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and New York City. The Story Circle Interview Method draws inspiration from participatory methods like photovoice and social portraiture. This method is a work in progress and seeks questions and comments from the audience on its possibility in their respective contexts and communities.
Workshop Lead
Judy Pryor-Ramirez is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Public Service and the Director of the Executive Master of Public Administration Program at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Her teaching and research examine the leadership of nonprofits, social justice movement-building, and public leaders using race, gender, and class analyses. She engages in qualitative methodologies and specializes in community-based participatory action research. Dedicated to enabling transformative possibilities, Judy centers justice and equity in her teaching, practice, and research. She has also contributed essays to Public Seminar, a journal of ideas, politics, and culture, and has co-authored digital curriculum projects for Brooklyn Historical Society, Emerson College, and Drew University on topics related to race/ethnicity, Black women's contributions to the arts and media, and community-based participatory action research respectively. Judy holds an MA in Sociology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a BA in Communication from George Mason University.