Growing up, I remember a commercial that played very
often featuring Sally Struthers standing around unbathed and starving children.
I was not aware of the fact that Sally Struthers had gained fame from All in
the Family. To me, all she resembled was the spokesperson for the organization that
was adamant about feeding and clothing these hungry children. She and the other
members of the organization were dedicated to sending these children to school
and making sure they were clothed and had shelter each night, which could have
been accomplished if the viewer donated $1 a day. I probably saw that
commercial five hundred times as a kid having no idea it affected me in a way
other than worrying about the children and wishing I could help.
This week I had the pleasure of viewing the 2009 TED
talk by the Nigerian Storyteller Chimamanda Adiche which discussed single
stories. In her speech, Adiche (2009) discussed growing up in a middle-class
family in Nigeria. She mentioned that as a middle-class family it was customary
to have a houseboy to help with cleaning and other chores around the home. She
stated that all she knew about the houseboy was that he came from a poor
family. One day she was invited to the houseboy’s home for dinner. When she
arrived, she saw a beautiful basket made by his brother. She was stunned to
learn that poor people could develop baskets. In her example, poverty was the
single story (Adiche, 2009). Hence, poverty was all she knew about the
family.
According to Abagond (2009), a single story is one
that gets repetitively told about a place that we do not know first-hand
creating stereotypes and half-truths. As I thought about the commercial I watched
so many times, I realized I became encapsulated in a single story as a child. I
saw all of the hungry, uneducated, unclothed children and developed a picture
in my mind that all of Africa must be that way. In my head, Africa was filled
with poverty stricken children with nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. I am
embarrassed to admit that I was wrong for buying into this single story.
Adiche (2009) listed many examples of single stories
that she has experienced in her life. I snickered when she discussed the time her
roommate from college asked to listen to a sampling of her ‘tribal music’ and
she pulled out her Mariah Carrey cd. Once again the single story created an
incomplete picture. The roommate believed what she had learned in Western
literature. Adiche (2009) stated, “So that is how to create a single story,
show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is
what they become” (9:27). It has become evident that I, like most of us, am
guilty of creating a single story. As I thought about a single story, I began
to reflect on the times that I generated this type of story only to have the
glass shatter once I learned more about the subject.
Growing up in a small town in Mississippi, a single
story was written about big cities -especially the larger cities in the north.
Take New York City for example. The story written about New York City was that
it was too busy for anyone to care about anyone else. The individuals were
rude, angry, and in too much of a hurry to help each other. This story was conceived
from movies in which cab drivers or other citizens would yell at each other. TV
shows created characters at the front desk of the hotel who would not give the
time of day to help you. I even heard first-hand accounts of people the city that
perpetuated the single story. I was honestly worried how I would fit in if I
ever visited. However, I should not have listened to the story others were telling
about New York City.
When I visit New York City, the single story was
disproven within a couple of hours of being in the city. We were asked if we
needed help at Grand Central Station before we even asked (I guess our tourist
badges were more evident than we thought they would be). I actually saw someone
help another individual cross the street, which I have not seen in Florida or
Mississippi. I witnessed multiple people carrying baby stroller for mothers up
or down the steps to the subway. I admit once again that I was ashamed of the
single story that I not only believed but repeated on multiple occasions. In
every large city there are more than likely rude and disingenuous people, but
to believe a city was constructed of only these individuals was a mistake!
Adiche (2009) stated that single stories emphasize how we are different instead
of discussing similarities, which was evident in the story I helped construct
about New York City. Not only was I erroneous about the city, I loved my visit
and cannot wait to return.
The simple story can also be utilized in analyzing
ourselves or a place we know well. Mississippi is known as the hospitality
state. From a Mississippian’s perspective, hospitality is the single story both
written and believed. I recently went back home to Mississippi for a wedding
and observed several instances of anything but hospitality. I saw a road rage
incident in which people were screaming at each other, I witnessed an episode
that leaned toward the side of racism, and I saw many individuals hurriedly going
about their business with no regard for the other citizens. The single story is
hospitality but a broad view adamantly opposes the story that has been written.
According to Hoch, Kunreuther, & Gunther (2001),
I occasionally suffer from frame blindness in decision-making because I “look
out at the world through one mental window and fail to notice the views offered
by other windows” (p. 139). This same concept can be applied to single stories
in that single stories only tell you part of the information, therefore,
believing this type of story would be incorrect.
McKay, Davis, and Fanning (2009) stated that there
are four types of expression including (a) observations, (b) thought, (c),
feelings, and (d) needs. A whole message is able to incorporate all four types
of expression (McKay et al., 2009). The
message delivered by Adiche (2009), was a combination of each type of
expression. She was able to discuss the things she saw, what those sights made
her think, how she felt about her thoughts, and finally, her need to alter her
thought and the way things are viewed. McKay et al. (2009) also discussed
self-awareness as a preparation technique for your message or communication. In
his discussion of springboard a springboard story, Denning (2011), stated that
purpose is an important element to the story. It was evident that the message
was well prepared and Adiche understood the purpose of her communication.
Another observation that I made while viewing Adiche’s
(2009) speech was the comfort, confidence, and pride she felt for her subject
matter. According to Whalen and Ricca (2007), “As you speak, you become filled
with feelings of pride and joy for your ideas. You let your pride flow from you
to your audience” (p. 21). The comfort that she shared with the message was
evident in the jokes she made and in her delivery.
I enjoyed the thought-provoking speech delivered by
Adiche. I found it interesting how many instances single stories have skewed
our view or feelings about a particular subject. The overall message is that we
need to become aware of not just one side of the story but a balance of
stories. I admit that I must also become cognizant of the world around me and
avoid the stereotypes. I believe the message Adiche (2009) was trying to
deliver was that we all must remain aware of a balance of stories and not just
the single story so we can avoid the dangerous stereotypes that seem to be all
around us.
References
Abagond. (2009, October 30). The single story. Retrieved from https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/the-single-story/
Adiche, C. (2009, October). Chimamanda Adichie: The danger
of a single story. Ted.com. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story
Denning,
S. (2011). The leader’s guide to storytelling; Mastering the art and
discipline of business narrative. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
Hoch, S., Kunreuther, H., & Gunther, R. (2001). Wharton
on making decisions. John Wiley & Sons, Inc
McKay,
M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages:
The communication skills book. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Whalen,
D. J., & Ricca, T. M. (2007). The professional communications toolkit.
Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
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