Journal of Narrative and Life History - Volume 1, Issue 2-3, 1991

AbstractThe relation of narrative to the onset of autobiographical memory in early childhood is considered from the perspective of three sources of narrativity: (a) event knowledge, (b) parental talk about past and future events, and (c) knowl-edge of story schemata. Evidence from work on children's scripts and episodic memory indicates that both general and specific event knowledge is well estab-lished by 3 years of age. Evidence from the monologues of a 2 year old (Emily) indicated that parental talk about past and future events was available as a model for the child to use to formulate her own memories and anticipations in verbal form, and that she did indeed produce coherent accounts of past happenings and future activities based on, but going beyond, these models. By 3 years, however, Emily—and most children observed—could tell a good story about her own life's events, but did not recount a fictional story that had been read to her in the same coherent narrative mode. Both good memories and good stories seem to be based on representations of events influenced by parental models of narrative-type talk. (Psychology)

AbstractWhen the self is thought of as a narrative or story, rather than a substance or thing, the temporal and dramatic dimension of human existence is emphasized. The operation of narrative "emplotment" (Ricoeur, 1983/1984) can configure the diverse events and actions of one's life into a meaningful whole. One's self-concept or self-identity is fashioned by adaptation of plots from one's cul-tural stock of stories and myths. Stories of personal identity differ from literary productions in that they are constructed within an unfolding autobiography and incorporate the accidental events and unintended consequences of actions. Under stressful conditions, a self-narrative may decompose, producing the anxiety and depression of meaninglessness. One function of psychotherapy is to assist in the reconstruction of a meaning-giving narrative of self-identity. (Psychology)

AbstractThe concept of the life story is discussed as an important means for under-standing continuity and change within lives over time, including means used to make sense of lived experience, particularly response to adversity. This per-spective on the study of the life history is based on current approaches to the study of narrative within both the human sciences and the humanities, and views the life history as a story that is continually revised over time, and with age. The life story may be evaluated, both by its teller and by those listening or reading, in the same terms as any good or "followable" story within our own culture (Ricoeur, 1977). Explanation of the origins, impact, and resolu-tion of adversity appears essential both in the "good" story and the life his-tory understood as a personal narrative or story, and is necessary to maintain continuing experience of personal integrity or coherence across the course of life. Some representative accounts of response to adversity are reviewed which are consistent with the life story approach, focusing on means used in making sense and maintaining a life story that is followable both to self and others. (Psychology)

AbstractTake as pivotal in anthropological discourse the invention of the category of the Other. Once invented, the category conjures up another realm, a realm inhabited by the Other and estranged from the realm of the self. Ethnographic writings are then constructed to get access to the Other. At issue, then, are how realms of experience are constellated with respect to each other, how they communicate, and how they coalesce. One name for these realm relations is dialogism. Under a dialogic description, the boundaries between self and Other become blurred, along with the boundaries between the universes of discourse they inhabit. Eth-nographic writings formulate relationships between realms in terms of conven-tions of perspective and voice. These conventions are anchored in the body. In particular, a hierarchy of modalities of perception informs a social scientific epistemology. In this article, the realm status of self and Other in anthropological discourse is investigated in three perspectives: the objective, the subjective, and what I call the intersubjective. Problems of access turn out to be artifacts of our invention of the category of the Other. (Ethnographic Writing)