An examination of the pairing between narrative and occupational science

Abstract

In this paper the author proposes a possible typology of the use of narrative in occupational science based on an analysis of journal articles from occupational therapy and occupational science literature. The resulting typology identifies usages of narrative that fall into three categories: (a) everyday life, (b) clinical reasoning, and (c) research methodology. The theoretical and methodological interrelations among these categories are explored. This typology contributes to a clearer conceptualization of the various uses of narrative, minimizes terminological confusion, and suggests new extensions through which narrative can be used to study occupation. Recommendations for how this typology can be used to diminish confusion and encourage dialogue are provided.

Fathering Occupations: An Analysis of Narrative Accounts of Fathering Children with Special Needs

“…The stories were then analysed using literary analysis and hermeneutics in order to examine experience (Mattingly, 1998(Mattingly, , 2010b. Literary analysis of stories included an examination of narrative elements such as character, emplotment, action, setting, and narrative time (Bonsall, 2012;Bruner, 1986;Mattingly, 1998). For instance, in an exemplar from the first theme presented, co-created occupations, an important moment in the life of a father and son who run marathons is analysed for the narrative element of breaches.…”

“…Researchers in occupational science have analysed narratives in order to examine the action and experience of occupations (Bonsall, 2012;Mattingly & Lawlor, 2000). From the field of family studies, Hornby (1992) used published accounts of fathers' narratives to examine the experience of having a child with a disability.…”

The Aftermath and the Aftermyth: Learning From Memoirists Who Experienced Sexual Assault While at University

“…Because particular research designs are not prescribed by this approach (Njelesani et al, 2013), we elected to use narrative inquiry (see Bonsall, 2012) in conjunction with a critical occupational approach because of its alignment with study objectives. Narrative is one of the most widely used methods of organizing human experience, used to make sense of what we know, what we feel, and how we experience and attribute meaning to the world (Souto-Manning, 2014): Narrative is "the primary scheme by which human existence is rendered meaningful" (Polkinghorne, 1988, p. 11).…”

“…Narrative is one of the most widely used methods of organizing human experience, used to make sense of what we know, what we feel, and how we experience and attribute meaning to the world (Souto-Manning, 2014): Narrative is "the primary scheme by which human existence is rendered meaningful" (Polkinghorne, 1988, p. 11). Thus, narrative inquiry may be used to examine socially situated human experience (Bonsall, 2012;Souto-Manning, 2014), including women's experiences of everyday living in the aftermath of sexual assault.…”

Well-Being and Resilience in Children With Speech and Language Disorders

“…For example, the epistemology underpinning narrative inquiry is interpretivist whereby truth is considered multiple and constructed by different people in different ways (Finlay, 2006;Greene & Hill, 2005;Hodge, 2008). Narratives can be construed as a primary way of making emotional sense of unexpected turns of events and of creating meaning (Bonsall, 2012;Park, 2008). Narratives have the potential to provide insights into wellbeing for a number of reasons.…”