Urban storytelling as human capital:

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creativework.datePublished5 January 2026
creativework.keywordshuman capital, internal migration, narrative inquiry, storytelling, urban poverty
dc.contributor.authorJarata, Jesus Rafael B.
dc.date.accessioned2026-09-10T09:46:13Z
dc.date.available2026-09-10T09:46:13Z
dc.date.issued2026-01
dc.descriptionFull text
dc.description.abstractBackground: Internal migration is a primary driver of urbanisation in the Philippines, yet the lived realities of rural-to-urban migrants—particularly those in the informal economy—are often marginalised in dominant urban discourses. While the pursuit of economic opportunity drives migration, it simultaneously creates a complex urban landscape where migrants must navigate exclusion and precarity. Objective: This study investigates how internal migrants utilise narrative practices as a strategic resource to navigate economic instability, cultivate social networks, and assert a sense of belonging within the urban environment. Methodology: Adopting a qualitative narrative inquiry framework, the study purposively sampled ten internal migrants engaged in informal-sector labour. Data were collected between January and March 2025 through semi-structured interviews and collaborative story-sharing circles. A thematic narrative analysis was employed to decode recurring story arcs, metaphorical devices, and symbolic expressions. Results: Findings indicate that storytelling serves as a critical communicative strategy for building trust, mobilising communal resources, and navigating public institutions. Participants utilised narratives to reframe vulnerability as resilience and to negotiate the city’s symbolic and material boundaries. Furthermore, storytelling acts as a tool for "placemaking," allowing migrants to construct distinct urban identities and claim spaces of belonging. Conclusion: The study concludes that for internal migrants, storytelling functions as both symbolic capital and symbolic labour. In the absence of formal credentials, narratives provide the legitimacy required for survival and belonging. However, these practices also reveal "unsettling social fields" where migrant resilience is under constant scrutiny and systemic struggle. Unique Contribution: This research advances urban and communication studies by recasting storytelling as a functional form of human capital. By centring narrative agency, the study offers a new framework for understanding how marginalised populations actively shape urban futures rather than existing as passive subjects of development. Key Recommendation: Policy-makers and urban planners should move toward participatory models that recognize migrants as co-creators of the city. Future research should explore how integrating migrant narratives into community-based programs can foster more equitable and inclusive urban governance.
dc.description.sponsorshipDon Mariano Marcos Memorial State University
dc.identifier.citationJarata, J. R. B. (2026). Urban storytelling as human capital: Narratives of migration, labour, and survival in the Philippines. Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, v.8 (1), p. 1009 – 1021. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18062106.
dc.identifier.doi10.5281/zenodo.18062106
dc.identifier.issn27359883
dc.identifier.urihttps://lakasa.dmmmsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/2494
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Nigeria Department of Mass Communication
dc.rights.licenseCC BY 4.0
dc.sdgSDG 10
dc.subjectHuman capital
dc.subjectHuman capital--Economic aspects
dc.subjectMigration, Internal
dc.subjectMigration, Internal--Economic aspects
dc.subjectNarrative inquiry (Research method)
dc.subjectStorytelling
dc.subjectStorytellers
dc.subjectIndia. Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation
dc.titleUrban storytelling as human capital:
dc.title.alternativeNarratives of migration, labour, and survival in the Philippines
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.accessRightsOpen access
publicationvolume.volumeNumber8
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