CHAPEL AND EDI
Continued from page 13 Stories and Examples
Because the power of storytelling is well appreciated within our schools , it ’ s not surprising that wisdom stories often find their way into our Chapels . The same can be said about the use of “ real-life ” examples , the concrete cousin of a fictional tale .
A decade ago , I was approached by our Junior School counselor , who wanted me to know that my last four stories were centered on male protagonists . This shouldn ’ t surprise anyone who draws on old stories , many of which involve a young male adventurer who benefits from wisdom dispensed from an elderly male advisor . Since that day , I ’ ve been very intentional about creating a balance , either through the careful selection of stories or the respectful altering of genders . The former
“ A decade ago , I was approached by our Junior School counselor , who wanted me to know that my last four stories were centered on male protagonists ... Since that day , I ’ ve been very intentional about creating a balance ...” often involves sourcing recent publications while the latter sometimes requires consultation and acknowledgement ( more on this below ). Notably , we don ’ t draw overt attention to striking this gender balance . Rather , we allow the balance to be our natural norm .
In a similar manner , we ’ re conscious of the names that are assigned to characters . In part , the answer rests in selecting stories from around the globe . At the same time , this can establish a different kind of troubling pattern , foreign names = foreign lands . For this reason , we try to ensure that local stories employ a variety of cultural names so that students hear as much about “ Rajan ” as “ Ruth .”
More recently , we ’ ve expanded this approach with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity . Where the original version of a story depicts three princes suddenly proposing to a princess , the revised edition offers two princes and a princess on bended knee before her highness . When all three fall into a bun fight , the princess slips away and marries a commoner , whose gender is never mentioned . I find this non-gendered approach intriguing as it allows each listener to shape the protagonist ’ s partner in a way meaningful to them .
When working with any story , it ’ s important to be aware of cultural or identity appropriation . Because stories often flow freely between cultures ( think of all the variations of “ Stone Soup ”), it ’ s not always easy to identify when it ’ s inappropriate to share or alter a tale . My own filter wasn ’ t in place until I developed an eth-
Page 14 Summer 2022 CSEE Connections