Prologue: Going Backstage OVERTURE: In the Beginning 1 Narratives of Suffering: Six Stories in Search of a Better World ACT I Setting Scenes: Narrative Power as a Way of Seeing 2 Narrative Actions of Power 3 Narrative Power as a Struggle for Human Value ACT 2 Locating Tensions: The Fragility of Narrative 4 Narrative Inequalities 5 Narrative Digitalism 6 Narrative States 7 Narrative Wisdom 8 Narrative Contingencies ACT 3 Moving On: Acts of Narrative Hope 9 Caring for Narrative Futures: Towards a Politics of Narrative Humanity Notes References Index

"Here we are in the hands of a renowned narrative scholar and a most compassionate human being. In writing steeped in urgency, Plummer explores the potential of narrative to support human progress and alleviate suffering, commanding our full attention as he guides us through a world of crisis and possibility."—Molly Andrews, Co-director, Centre for Narrative Research, University of East London "Ken Plummer takes readers on a high-altitude ride overlooking stories of power and inequality. The sources cited are impressive in sheer number and diversity of specific topics. Narrative Power is a welcome reminder of what symbolic interactionism can contribute to political understanding. But the political is also personal, and Plummer's own stories of confronting prevalent narratives of sexual identity connect an otherwise macro argument to the biographical level."—Arthur W. Frank, University of Calgary ". . . the book presents a good resource for scholars who seek an overview of the various dimensions of power related to narrative research and storytelling. For practitioners and students of social work, the book may be entry point into the world of narrative research, particularly as we consider the ways narratives are used to disrupt, challenge, or maintain the societal status quo."Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work