From self-help to self-advocacy for people with disadvantages: narrating problems through Japanese community radio

This study explores an alternative way for tojisha—a Japanese term that usually translates to ‘the parties concerned’ and ‘who face challenges’—to represent themselves. Specifically, it investigates how tojisha can develop self-advocacy skills using the narrative method that facilitates storytelling and community broadcasting. To this end, we scheduled community radio programmes with the aid of a local social worker, five individuals involved in self-help activities, and their supporters. The structured format of the broadcast enabled the tojisha to talk about their difficulties, desires, and ambitions. Data acquired through pre- and post-activity interviews were analysed to understand how storytelling and community radio help tojisha acquire self-advocacy skills. First, we found that the narrative method enabled the participants to bridge their past and future and contemplate the significance of their difficult experiences. Second, the ‘public’ experience of broadcasting helped the participants gain social awareness, particularly regarding the significance of how their storytelling can initiate social change. The broadcast format developed for this study will be useful to other disadvantaged groups considering the use of media for self-advocacy.