A Narrative-Discursive A Narrative-Discursive Approach to Approach to

Everyday StoriesEveryday Stories

Three Three Narrative ApproachesNarrative Approaches

Life-Story ApproachesLife-Story Approaches Life-Event ApproachesLife-Event Approaches ““Small” Stories:Small” Stories:

short narrative accountsshort narrative accounts embedded in every-day eventsembedded in every-day events unnoticed as ‘stories’ by the participantsunnoticed as ‘stories’ by the participants highly relevant for identity formation highly relevant for identity formation

processesprocesses

Life-EventsLife-Events

Life-EventsLife-Events Most narrative researchMost narrative research Focus on particular events or experiencesFocus on particular events or experiences Analysis of focused areaAnalysis of focused area Construction of meaning of the event for one’s Construction of meaning of the event for one’s

lifelife

Merits of narrative life Merits of narrative life researchresearch

Illuminates lived experience Illuminates lived experience Invites participants to focus on the meaning of Invites participants to focus on the meaning of

the event in their livesthe event in their lives Emphasises the continuity of experienceEmphasises the continuity of experience

And considers aspects that seem unrelatedAnd considers aspects that seem unrelated

Assumes a unified sense of personal identity Assumes a unified sense of personal identity

Potential shortcomingsPotential shortcomings

How does this ‘unified sense of self’ come How does this ‘unified sense of self’ come into existence?into existence? How do we ‘learn’ to “sort out” events against How do we ‘learn’ to “sort out” events against

what is called ‘life’?what is called ‘life’? Overemphasis of stories about the ‘self’Overemphasis of stories about the ‘self’

Cutting out all those stories about othersCutting out all those stories about others Overemphasis of ‘long’ storiesOveremphasis of ‘long’ stories

Cutting out everyday, “small” stories Cutting out everyday, “small” stories

Why?Why?

Influences of ‘traditional’ psychological Influences of ‘traditional’ psychological inquiryinquiry Interests in the self + self-coherenceInterests in the self + self-coherence

Influences of traditional narratology Influences of traditional narratology Work with texts (written texts)Work with texts (written texts) Assumes an author behind the textAssumes an author behind the text Assumes moral rightness in narrativesAssumes moral rightness in narratives

Interviews as window into the selfInterviews as window into the self

Narrative DimensionsNarrative Dimensions(Ochs & Capps, 2001)(Ochs & Capps, 2001)

TellershipTellership one active teller vs. one active teller vs. manymany

TellabilityTellability high vs. high vs. lowlow

EmbeddednessEmbeddedness detached from surrounding talk vs. detached from surrounding talk vs. situational situational

embeddednessembeddedness

Moral stanceMoral stance one moral message vs. one moral message vs. different + conflicting messagesdifferent + conflicting messages

Linearity & TemporalityLinearity & Temporality closed temporal + causal order vs. closed temporal + causal order vs. open + spatialopen + spatial

SMALLSMALL stories stories

Characteristics of “small” storiesCharacteristics of “small” stories Functions of “small” storiesFunctions of “small” stories

in everyday conversationsin everyday conversations in the process of identity formationin the process of identity formation in learning to present ‘coherent’ selvesin learning to present ‘coherent’ selves

What these small stories accomplish in What these small stories accomplish in everyday situationseveryday situations

Stories about others:Stories about others:the the Davie HoganDavie Hogan story story

Positioning with Davie Hogan. Stories, Tellings & Identities. In C. Daiute & C. Lightfoot (Eds.) Narrative analysis: Studying the development of individuals in society.  London: Sage. (2003)

Topic: gay kids at school

J: actually I know a few of them  I don’t know them but I’ve seen them

Ed how can you tell they’re gay

Alex yeah you can’t really tell

J: no like how do I know they’re gay

Ed yeah

J: well he’s an 11th grade student  the kid I know  I’m not gonna mention names

Ed alright who are they (raising both hands up)

J: okay um  and I’m in a class with mostly 11th graders

Josh: and his name is (rising intonation)

Pre-Story Negotiation +Pre-Story Negotiation +Fine TuningFine Tuning

Pre-NegotiationsPre-Negotiations ““I don’t know them but I’ve seen them”I don’t know them but I’ve seen them”

Challenge: “how do you know?”Challenge: “how do you know?” ““how do I know they’re gay?”how do I know they’re gay?” ““he’s an 11th-grader” + “I’m in a class with 11th-graders”he’s an 11th-grader” + “I’m in a class with 11th-graders”

Fine-TuningFine-Tuning Why does he claim not to “Why does he claim not to “knowknow” them (and only having ” them (and only having

““seenseen” them)?” them)? Why is his witness “Why is his witness “honesthonest” + “” + “nicenice”” Why is she “Why is she “a girla girl”?”? Why is the gay boy not talking to her <that he is gay>?Why is the gay boy not talking to her <that he is gay>? Why is he ‘mentioning’ that the gay boy “associates with a lot Why is he ‘mentioning’ that the gay boy “associates with a lot

of girls” rather than boys?of girls” rather than boys?

PositioningPositioning

Vis-à-vis his audienceVis-à-vis his audience I I knowknow about gays about gays I’m not “close to I’m not “close to themthem” ” (= don’t get the wrong idea!!!)(= don’t get the wrong idea!!!)

Vis-à-vis the master-narratives of Vis-à-vis the master-narratives of heterosexuality + liberal discourseheterosexuality + liberal discourse

Gays as ‘Gays as ‘othersothers’ ’ Self as tolerant personSelf as tolerant person

Vis-à-vis a ‘sense of self’Vis-à-vis a ‘sense of self’ Practicing/working toward/testing out a sense of Practicing/working toward/testing out a sense of

“this is “this is meme””

Characteristics of Characteristics of “SMALL” stories“SMALL” stories

ShortShort Conversationally Embedded + NegotiatedConversationally Embedded + Negotiated

beforebefore duringduring afterafter

Fine tunedFine tuned positioning strategies positioning strategies fine-tuned vis-à-vis the audiencefine-tuned vis-à-vis the audience fine-tuned vis-à-vis dominant + counter narrativesfine-tuned vis-à-vis dominant + counter narratives multiple moral stances (testing out and experimenting multiple moral stances (testing out and experimenting

with with identity projectionsidentity projections)) Low in tellability, linearity, temporality + causalityLow in tellability, linearity, temporality + causality

Functions of Functions of SMALL storiesSMALL stories

Do identity workDo identity work Continuous editing of experienceContinuous editing of experience

Retelling of experienceRetelling of experience Re-tuningRe-tuning tellings according to: tellings according to:

different audiencesdifferent audiences different master-narrativesdifferent master-narratives different (developing) senses of ‘who-I-am’different (developing) senses of ‘who-I-am’

Result in a Result in a sense of coherencesense of coherence via a constant reworkingvia a constant reworking

ConclusionConclusion

Rather than assuming the existence of Rather than assuming the existence of identity + sense of self – and viewing identity + sense of self – and viewing narratives as reflections of these, we can narratives as reflections of these, we can study study the the emergence emergence of a sense of selfof a sense of self by way of exploring the by way of exploring the SMALL storiesSMALL stories people tell in their EVERYDAY interactionspeople tell in their EVERYDAY interactions

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