Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This paper focuses on the design of narrative interventions that research has shown to be effective in changing the causes of the violent behavior of men. In South Africa the campaigns against gender-based violence during the sixteen days of activism have come under severe attack, amongst others, for their inability to change the violent behavior of men. Narratives are often used as strategies for these campaign interventions, despite the fact that no conclusive evidence has been forthcoming on their efficacy as strategy to change the violent behavior of men and little research has been forthcoming that focus in depth on how precisely the elements of a narrative have to be designed to effectively address the major factors that theory-driven empirical research has shown to cause the violent behavior of South African men. In this paper the focus is on the design of the elements of narrative interventions that research has shown to be effective in changing the causes of the violent behavior of men. Empirical research on the causes of the inaction of victims, perpetrators, occasional and professional bystanders, and supporters, and their design in terms of rhetorical narrative elements are discussed using the design of a number of narrative GBV interventions, especially “Matlakala’s Story,” as examples.