Storytelling content, contexts, and controversies

Abstract

The performance of autoethnographic storytelling can amplify the voices of those who are often unheard, silenced, or marginalized. Moreover, personal storytelling in appropriate contexts can provide a forum for sharing the previously unspoken or unspeakable that, when shared, can begin to heal the teller and promote social justice and societal change. Yet, not all contexts are are appropriate and not all stories are safe to share. Thus, telling autoethnographic stories can present ethical concerns for which there are no pat answers or one-size-fits-all solutions. This article discusses a few of these concerns.