Participatory storytelling in the divisive era: Strategic framing and the ethics of equity implementation

Public administrators advancing social equity face mounting challenges in today’s polarized political environment. Identity-based framing in policy messaging can deepen divisions, particularly across ideological lines when messages focus on minorities. This article develops a strategic framework for embedding narrative communication within deliberative democracy to advance equity goals despite opposition from the Trump administration. Drawing on social identity theory, polarization research, narrative storytelling, deliberative democracy, and bureaucratic discretion, we propose “participatory storytelling” to reduce backlash without compromising commitments. We illustrate this approach through two case summaries—(a) Tulsa’s approach to historic racial justice and (b) Sweden’s Viable Cities initiative—showing how administrators can pair narrative discretion with citizen deliberation to implement equity initiatives across scales. The framework offers theoretical and practical guidance for navigating polarization while preserving trust and equity.