Shifting Harmful Narratives About Poverty in New York City
HIGHLIGHTS
- ideas42 is supporting an existing landscape of narrative change work in the Bronx to shift false, harmful narratives about poverty and lay the groundwork for more effective social policy that centers on agency, dignity, and respect.
- The Bronx has the highest poverty rate of New York City’s five boroughs and long-held stigma surrounding the borough has not dissipated, even as significant gains have been made.
- Through a series of co-design sessions, we’re working with partners to develop ideas about how to counter identified harmful narratives and promote counternarratives.
The Challenge
Recognizing that narratives shape our perceptions and interactions with the world, and ultimately our behavior—what positions we take on policy, how we design programs, and how we treat other people—our Economic Justice team is on a multi-year mission to examine examined attitudes and beliefs about poverty in the U.S.
In New York City, ideas42 is supporting an existing landscape of narrative change work in the Bronx. The Bronx has the highest poverty rate of New York City’s five boroughs, at 26.0% as of 2019. Long-held stigma surrounding the borough has not dissipated, even as significant gains have been made. Narratives around the Bronx, its residents, and poverty in the borough persist, as do the harmful consequences of these stories.
Our Approach
We’re partnering with a team of Bronxites and Bronx business leaders already engaged in trying to change perceptions of their community in order to offer a new lens to amplify their work through applied behavioral science and evidence-based research. The group of organizations and community members with lived experience of poverty is the core of the work, and together with members of our team, they formed a “Local Narrative Team” (LNT).
From discussions with Bronx residents, we identified two prevailing narratives: that poverty is inescapable and inevitable (fatalism) and that success is solely a result of hard work (meritocracy). These narratives often lead to a perception of individuals in poverty as either hopeless cases or as not putting in enough effort to improve their circumstances.
Through a series of co-design sessions, we’re working with the Bronx Ideators to develop ideas about how to counter our identified harmful narratives and promote counternarratives. Ideators shared what they loved most about the Bronx— its cultural impact through hip-hop music, the beauty of its green spaces, and the resilience and “hustle” of Bronxites—and we explored several tactics and channels to share the narratives, ranging from social media campaigns, virtual simulations, public art, performance art, and a blog series to showcase what makes the Bronx special.
Results
From our co-design process, the top idea that emerged was a community Boogie Down for Change Crawl: a full-day tour of the Bronx guiding participants to experience local businesses and unique Bronx spaces.
The event decreased endorsement of fatalistic narratives by 14%. Notably, this also included a 13% increase in endorsement of narratives around hope and efficacy of collective action, and specifically an increase of 16% in belief in the following statement: “I feel hopeful and optimistic about the future of the Bronx community.” We also saw a 15% increase in the belief that justice is an achievable goal in the Bronx.
Learn more about the 2023 Boogie Down for Change Crawl.
Takeaway
Building on the Boogie Down for Change Crawl, we are continuing our work with the Bronx ideators to develop and launch new designs that highlight talent innovation in the borough while actively countering harmful narratives.
As our work continues, we hope to deepen and expand our existing relationships to find solutions that are even more durable and effective.
Interested in learning more about our work applying behavioral science to economic justice? Reach out to us at ematos@ideas42.org or on X at @ideas42 to join the conversation.
