The Danger of a Single Story

Adichie’s concept aligns with the intersectional approach, which recognizes that individuals hold multiple social identities that interact to shape their experiences. Researchers can use this framework to explore how social identities intersect to influence outcomes in areas such as health, education, and employment. By considering the intersection of identity, researchers can paint a better picture of social phenomena and better address the needs of diverse populations. In essence, Adichie’s idea that “many stories matter” can serve as a guiding principle for researchers in the social sciences, encouraging them to embrace diversity, avoid generalizations, amplify marginalized voices, and promote inclusivity in their work. 

My name is Jonathan Brown, during my time at SIUE I plan to work in social justice. One of the main reasons I am drawn to social justice work is the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. I believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and fairness, and I want to be a part of the movement that helps to make this a reality. The work of social workers and studies in social justice is crucial in making sure that marginalized communities are heard, and that their rights are protected. 

Some people I don’t think see me as I do are my friends from high school. Mostly my entire high school saw me as this really big football player and it was true, I played football for a while but I had other things on my mind. Around my junior year was when I had to take a step back and think about how much I really like the sport. I liked the attention, the actual game days, college attention but one thing I didn’t like was the time football was taking from my life. I would practice everyday but my grades were not to par with what I knew could be achieved.  While this was happening Covid had struck which ended my sophomore year season so I hadn’t played in over a year and lost interest in the short amount of time. Then I tried to focus on my grades in my senior year. My football coach had a policy where if you miss one day of practice you can’t pay for that week. This policy would restrict me from focusing on my GPA which was not ideal from always being at practice. These are only some of the multiple reasons I decided to focus on my academic success over football. This decision ended up paying off in the long run but a lot of people from high school were disappointed to see me leave football.