ABSTRACT
I t is through the process of verbal communication and persuasion that cultures progress and historical inventions exert their inexorable force on society. Remarkably, such profound historical change often occurs as a result of persuasive messages received from minorities that exert their influence through their persistence and the power and truth of their arguments. As several chapters in the volume illustrate, historical narratives play a powerful role in shaping the way entire cultures and subgroups within those cultures view themselves (see also Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, this volume). Linking these narratives to the role of minority groups as agents of social change is the goal of this chapter.
