ABSTRACT
Urging publics to take protective action from impending risk can create a sticky problem where competing narratives may diminish motivation to engage in the recommended actions. This chapter presents the internalization, distribution, explanation, and action (IDEA) model as a viable approach for managing the sticky nature of such narrative conflict. The IDEA model is applied to interpret the competing narratives about relocating thousands of farmers in the Bududa District of Uganda, where mudslides increasingly threaten their lives. The analysis revealed competing narratives disrupting the transition from explanation to action. The government narrative focused on spatial issues emphasizing the physical danger of the mountain and temporal issues focused on the logistics of moving. Contrastingly, the farmers’ narrative noted variance in the spatial risk of the land and offered a more complex temporal view that included recognition of both the urgency of the situation and longstanding cultural ties to the land and its people. This cultural history made relocating difficult for many farmers. Ultimately, this study illustrates the importance of addressing both the spatial and temporal aspects of competing narratives to move successfully from explanation to action.
