Narrative Perspective
Fisher, Walter R. (1987). Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.
-Life as an ongoing series of narratives
-Rhetoric not merely supported arguments – stories in themselves are persuasive
-Even classical arguments themselves unfold within larger narratives
-Values, stereotypes, morals are all part of unfolding narratives
Traditional/Neoclassical World View:
People are essentially rational
We make decisions on the basis of arguments
The type of speaking situation determines the course of our argument
Rationality is determined by how much we know and how well we argue
The world is a set of logical puzzles that we can solve through rational analysis
We make decisions on the basis of good reasons
History, biography, culture, and character determine what we consider good reasons
Narrative rationality is determined by the coherence and fidelity of our stories
The world is a set of stories from which we choose, and thus constantly re-create, our live
Narrative Rationality
The 'trueness' of stories
Coherence
How consistently and logically does the story come together?
How complete and unaltered is the story?
vs. Fidelity
How true is the story?
Response chord: ringing true – resonating with common sense & lived experience
Good reasons to accept the story's moral – ideals about how the world should be
What is acceptable, believable, appropriate in the story's moral universe?
Narratives are strings of events
Every narrative composed of at least two events
Active events
Action, a story with evolving plot, setting and characters
Stative events
An existing state or condition
Organization of Narratives:
Temporal
time
Causal
cause-and-effect
Coherence
Examining the text (cont'd)
Setting
Where does the action take place?
Is the setting coherent and believable?
Characters
Flat – predictable/unchanging/one-sided characters
Round – unpredictable/evolving/multi-sided characters
Narrator
Who is the narrator? How does the narrator communicate?
Does the narrator show bias in interpretation of events?
Events
Active vs. Stative
Major vs. minor – primary/secondary, or portrayed/implied
Causal Relations
What causes the events? Who/what initiates action?
Subjects/objects – volition, intention
Temporal relations
Syntagmatic: one thing logically leads to another; linear story
Paradigmatic: non-linear story; flashbacks and episodic action
Intended audience
Who is the target audience?
What morals or values are they presumed to have?
Do they play a part in the story? Are they invited to enter the story, or just observe?
Conveyed morals
What is the moral of the story?
What does the story say about what we should believe? How we should behave?
What reasons does the story provide to support this?
Evaluating Implications
What do the conveyed morals logically lead to?
If we adopt the narrative as 'ours', what beliefs or behaviours will we have to adopt?
“So what?”
Cultivation effect
Persuasion by recurring narrative
Similar types of narratives encountered often change beliefs and behaviours
Causality of beliefs: in the narrative perspective, beliefs originate and spread through narratives.
Without narratives, there can be no beliefs!
No comments:
Post a Comment