Shaun Cammack: Narratives, Social Media, and Current Events

Shaun Cammack, the Executive Director of the Narrative Project, joins The Transformers with the gripping story of how his work can illuminate how differing perspectives form around an unfolding event. The Narrative Project grew out of Shaun's Master's work, which coincided with the events surrounding Kyle Rittenhouse and the August 2020 unrest in Kenosha. Fascinated by the diverging narratives he saw stemming from the same event, Shaun posted some on-the-fly analysis for which he received positive feedback. That led to further investigation of how social media listening can aid in better understanding how people discuss current events. Shaun's work has led him to some hard truths about the ways in which we speak to one another, as well as how to view narratives. Based both in qualitative analysis and an understanding of how humans operate when their moral boundaries are violated, Shaun's comments are bracingly refreshing and challenging. This is the majority of our conversation, edited for clarity and length. Join us for a partial transcript at www.betterconflictbulletin.org/.