Digital Narratives as Transformative Economic Capital: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis of Digital Storytelling's Impact on Perceived Economic Empowerment among Ethnic Minority Women in Northern Vietnam

This research investigates the transformative capacity of digital storytelling as an innovative mechanism for enhancing perceived economic empowerment among ethnic minority women in Northern Vietnam. Employing a theoretical framework that integrates social capital theory, narrative identity constructs, and digital empowerment paradigms, this study examines how digital narrative creation and dissemination function as forms of transformative economic capital within marginalized communities. A quantitative methodological approach utilising structural equation modelling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was implemented, involving 387 ethnic minority women from four provinces in Northern Vietnam. The research establishes significant relationships between digital narrative self-efficacy, technological accessibility, community narrative networks, and perceived economic empowerment, with cultural identity preservation functioning as a significant moderating variable. Findings reveal that digital storytelling operates as a multidimensional construct that transforms traditional cultural narratives into economic capital through increased market visibility, enhanced entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and expanded social network engagement. This research contributes to the theoretical advancement of digital empowerment frameworks in non-Western contexts and provides empirical evidence for policy development aimed at reducing digital divides in ethnically diverse, economically marginalised regions.