Symposium on narrative research, 31st March 2011, The University for Humanistics, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Diverse concepts, diverse narratives, diverse turns: travelling with narratives

Matti HyvärinenMatti Hyvärinen

School of Social Sciences and Humanities , School of Social Sciences and Humanities , University of Tampere, FinlandUniversity of Tampere, Finland

The narrative turns:

(1) In literature: in the1960s(2) The narrativist turn in historiography: on the 1970s(3) The narrative turn in social sciences; from the 1980s.(4) Societal turn to narratives (in the 1990s?)

(1) (1) The Proppian dilemma - > abstract and general concept-> narrow genre as an example -> narrative as a sequence of events(2) Diverse attitudes

- (anti)positivism, scientism;- (anti)positivism, scientism;

- neutral,- neutral, negative & celebrated narrative negative & celebrated narrative

(3) (3) Travelling concepts or metaphorsTravelling concepts or metaphors? ?

If you look closer at If you look closer at Morphology of the folktaleMorphology of the folktale , , you will hardly find any explicit theory of you will hardly find any explicit theory of narrative from the book. To put it more precisely, narrative from the book. To put it more precisely, the term ‘narrative’ only has a secondary position the term ‘narrative’ only has a secondary position among the ‘wonder tale’, functions, roles, and the among the ‘wonder tale’, functions, roles, and the theory of fairy tale. theory of fairy tale. Morphology Morphology firstfirst needed a needed a radical conceptual translation before turning into radical conceptual translation before turning into

a classic of narrative theory (Propp 1984).a classic of narrative theory (Propp 1984).

The dilemma of the universal The dilemma of the universal narrativenarrative

Ronald Barthes, in his celebrated 1966 article “Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narratives”, gave an impressive list of the instances of narrative. Narrative can be found in novels, paintings, news reports, gossip, and everyday discussions – you name it. Barthes and other structuralist narratologists, in other words, boldly declared the abstract and universal character of narrative. The formation of this inclusive and abstract notion or idea of the universal narrative was, I think, the decisive push and generator of the later narrative turn in the social sciences.

Particular model genre:

The Russian wonder tales were transmitted orally and conventionally. As examples of the most conventional popular art, they were exceedingly sequential, chronological and closed. A wonder tale simply cannot leave the end of a story hanging; a wonder tale simply cannot experiment with the form, content or the way the story ends. The limits of complexity are equally strictly set since the story must be easily remembered and recounted, once and again.

Definitions of narrative:

Most structuralists defined narrative more or less Most structuralists defined narrative more or less in terms of a sequence of events; claiming that a in terms of a sequence of events; claiming that a representation of two separate events in a representation of two separate events in a temporal order constitutes a narrative. temporal order constitutes a narrative.

While Aristotle quite obviously discussed good While Aristotle quite obviously discussed good and well-drafted tragedy, the triad of the and well-drafted tragedy, the triad of the beginning, middle and end was soon transposed beginning, middle and end was soon transposed to narrative theory as the supposedly universal to narrative theory as the supposedly universal core of all narrativity – again an unwarranted core of all narrativity – again an unwarranted move between distinct speech genres move between distinct speech genres

Experiential turn?Experiential turn?

Monika Fludernik (1996) makes two bold Monika Fludernik (1996) makes two bold claims. She firstly suggests that the claims. She firstly suggests that the ephemeral and partly chaotic nature of the ephemeral and partly chaotic nature of the ‘naturally occurring’ everyday narratives ‘naturally occurring’ everyday narratives must be taken seriously as a key building must be taken seriously as a key building block of the narrative theory. Secondly, block of the narrative theory. Secondly, she suggests that she suggests that experientialityexperientiality rather rather than the sequence of events should be than the sequence of events should be taken as the key defining feature of taken as the key defining feature of narrativenarrative..

Diverse attitudes

The literary narratology was thought to be a The literary narratology was thought to be a more rigorous, scientific and objective more rigorous, scientific and objective perspective into the study of novels and perspective into the study of novels and short stories.short stories.

Narratology was thought to be the Narratology was thought to be the sciencescience of of narrativenarrative, and the way of elevating , and the way of elevating literature onto the level of the serious literature onto the level of the serious disciplines.disciplines.

The narrativist turn (1970s)

When the narrativist turn in historiography begins in the 1970s, Hayden White largely shares this positivist rhetoric and invests much energy into demonstrating that historiography is not a proper science.

Hayden White instead introduced a distinctly Hayden White instead introduced a distinctly critical, even hostile attitude towards critical, even hostile attitude towards narratives in life and historiography.narratives in life and historiography.

Essential narrativity?

White says, “narrative is not merely a neutral discourse form that may or may not be used to represent real events in their aspect as developmental process but rather entails ontological and epistemic choices with distinct ideological and even specifically political implications” (White 1987, ix, italics added)

In social sciences…

Mark Freeman outlines narrative research as an existentialist counter-force to positivism.

Jerome BrunerJerome Bruner (1986, 1990) similarly (1986, 1990) similarly criticizes the cognitive science for focusing criticizes the cognitive science for focusing on information processing and ignoring the on information processing and ignoring the culturally working human mind, and posits culturally working human mind, and posits his narrative approach as an alternative to his narrative approach as an alternative to this narrow cognitivism.this narrow cognitivism.

Brockmeier & Carbaugh:

“…“…we can conceive of this anti-Cartesian we can conceive of this anti-Cartesian [narrative] orientation as part of an even [narrative] orientation as part of an even more general post-positivist movement”.more general post-positivist movement”.

Atkinson and Delamont:

Celebration vs analysis?Celebration vs analysis?

Healing, benevolent narratives?Healing, benevolent narratives?

Story-telling is always a good thing?Story-telling is always a good thing?

As they say, “(n)arratives are social As they say, “(n)arratives are social phenomena. […] phenomena. […] Our stance towards such towards such forms and genres of social life should be forms and genres of social life should be analytic, not celebratory” (2006, 165).analytic, not celebratory” (2006, 165).

Travelling metaphor?

MacIntyre: MacIntyre: the narratives we ”live out”the narratives we ”live out”

Bruner: Bruner: Life as NarrativeLife as Narrative

Rosenwald & Ochberg: Rosenwald & Ochberg: storied livesstoried lives

Walter R. Fisher: Walter R. Fisher: homo narranshomo narrans [[metonymymetonymy]]

Hänninen: Hänninen: Inner narrativeInner narrative

Herman: Herman: storied mindsstoried minds

Schechtman: Schechtman: to have a narrativeto have a narrativeVs. Gerrit Loots: rhizomatic narrative rhizomatic narrative

Thank you for your attention!