Telling Lives：Exploring dimensions of narratives

Both interest in and understanding of narrative analysis had developed rapidly in recent years and is now a mainstream element of research across many disciplines. In the groundbreaking Telling Lives: Exploring dimensions of narratives, the author illustrates as many facets as possible of the stories people tell about their lives. She demonstrates the interconnectedness between engagements in narrative research and shows that the theoretical understanding of the nature of narrative is bound up with the methods for biographical narrative research.

Through a combination of three independent, connected narrative dimensions, an embodied, a cognitive and a socio-cultural narrative, the author focuses on life story narratives as symbolic expressions where cultural constructions allow for interpersonal interaction. This book also outlines the influence cultural and social environments have upon our own unique narrative memories coupled with our own physical movements in space. The author concludes that the telling and exchanging of human narratives is the primary way of making sense and creating meaning of our own being.

This book brings together neuro-physiology, philosophical perspectives and research data and methodology to formulate a new understanding of narrative analysis. It will also help you to produce and analyze your own narrative interviews and perform biographical research. Innovative and thought-provoking, this book will cut across disciplines and be of interest to all students at advanced undergraduate and post-graduate level and researchers in Education, Social Sciences and Humanities.

Marianne Horsdal is Professor in Educational Research at the University of Southern Denmark. She is seen as a key international specialist in the study of narratives.

Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Time and Plot Chapter 2. Vicarious Experience Chapter 3. Telling Stories Chapter 4. The Body, the Brain and Experience Chapter 5. Memory Chapter 6. Early Interactions Chapter 7. Narrative Competence Chapter 8. The Narrative Interview Chapter 9. Analysis of Life Story Narratives Chapter 10. Cultural Identity Chapter 11. Personal Identity Chapter 12. Active Citizenship and Biographical Learning Chapter 13. Educational Perspectives and Concluding remarks Notes References Index