The place of stories and informal conversations in the social sciences during pandemics in Africa

Abstract

Pandemics have necessitated that social scientists conduct fieldwork differently. Pandemics profoundly impact individuals’ lives, warranting an in-depth study of the experiences, attitudes, and feelings as people imagine a new future. Stories and storytelling, when used as research tools and methods, can do more than convey scientific information. They can also evoke experiences, emotions and imaginations about pandemics and their possible futures. This paper defines stories and storytelling as the verbal telling of personal stories, a method that mostly calls for participant observation. Stories and storytelling in communicating social science and health research have primarily been delivered through podcasts and blogs. Few studies have examined the use of stories to inform research articles, particularly in social science research on public health issues. This article reviews the need to employ independent tools or integrate stories to address pandemics. This paper found that stories and storytelling often help individuals bring to the fore not only much-needed scientific information but also explore deeper issues in research, including feelings, attitudes, individual experiences, and imaginative futures.