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Health equity begins with the stories we tell. Narratives are the shared stories and frameworks that shape how we understand social issues, including health equity. Values and world views underpin the narratives that influence and operate within public health.
Dominant narratives, created and advanced by people to shape what is thought of as possible, are embedded in public health systems. Dominant public health narratives have often focused on individual behaviours and choices. These narratives can limit the scope of public health action and accountability and maintain biases and stigma.
Public health is increasingly recognizing the importance of the broader social, economic and structural conditions that shape health. As a result, shifting narratives to acknowledge structural and social determinants of health is gaining traction as a public health approach to shift power and advance health equity.
To support learning, reflection and action on narratives, the NCCDH has produced this curated list of 10 resources. These readings, tools and frameworks provide key definitions, approaches and topic-specific examples of transforming narratives.
Use this resource to:
- Deepen understanding of how narratives are related to power and health equity
- Facilitate discussion on dominant narratives that operate within public health practice
- Explore transformative narratives that support action on the structural and social determinants of health and advance health equity
Related resources
Let’s Talk: Redistributing power to advance health equity
Let’s Talk: Community organizing
Let’s Talk: Determinants of health
See other curated reading lists.
National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. (2026). Transforming narratives for health equity: A curated list. Antigonish, NS: NCCDH, St. Francis Xavier University.