Narrative Interviewing

Narratives

The narrative has been compared to a “story.” Human beings are by nature storytelling creatures. Narratives are essential to human life. By telling stories, one does not just narrate his or her experiences for others; one makes sense of those experiences too. If one is unable to narrate an experience, it may mean he or she is unable to understand that experience. Researchers have referred to this as narrative coherence. A coherent narrative has many benefits for the individual, including increased emotional and psychological well-being. Narratives, by nature, are interpretive. There is no “true” narrative that puts “reality” into words. Rather, narratives impose a certain order and meaning to events. The narrative represents an individual’s attempt to ascribe meaning to an event, situation, or life course.

Narratives are also inherently linked to identity. Stories impose meaning to events and meaning to “self.” It is through the narrative that the individual is able to create a sense of belonging and discursively construct his or her own identity. Narratives then become an important stage for the development of meanings as they become a vehicle for the narrator to make meaning from his or her point of view. Meaning can be made in relation to events, others, or one’s sense of self. It is through storytelling that one may come to know one’s own experiences and selves. It is through narrative that one talks a version of reality into being. This is because the telling of the narrative is about choices. The narrator makes decisions about events, ordering, punctuation, values, and emphasis. Through the collection of these choices, a particular reality is constructed. This version of reality is rife with meaning, ascribed by the narrator through the telling of the story.

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