Chronicles From the Classroom: Making Sense of the Methodology and Methods of Narrative Analysis

Abstract

Within the qualitative research genre, narrative inquiry remains controversial, particularly for the novice researcher, because of its uncertain boundaries and relationship to other qualitative methodologies. This article represents a novice researcher’s attempt to address the ambiguity by presenting a systematic, critical exploration of the analytical methods and methodology of narrative inquiry. The methods are grouped into three clusters for discussion: the performative cluster, the structural analysis cluster, and the literary analysis cluster. Each cluster of methods is described, associated with its theoretical framework, and applied to the compelling narratives collected from a series of interviews with two preservice educators. Issues of credibility and believability in the interpretative analysis of the narratives are also examined. In the conclusion of the article are topics for continued reflection gleaned from the experience of trying to make sense of narrative inquiry.

Who will I be when I retire? Introducing a Lacanian typology at the intersection of present identity work and future narratives of the retired self

“…Qualitative narrative inquiry (Morison and Macleod, 2013;Ollerenshaw and Creswell, 2002;Sermijn, Devlieger and Loots, 2008;Rogan and De Kock, 2005) was employed, as a broad framework, to analyze the narratives. This framework is well suited to working with texts from a Lacanian perspective (Parker, 2005) as it offers space to explore how subjectivity is constructed (Wolgemuth and Donohue, 2006) while avoiding objectification (Tuck and Yang, 2014: 814).…”

Drawing on the discursive resources from psychological contracts to construct imaginary selves: A psychoanalytic perspective on how identity work drives psychological contracts

“…The stories were analyzed using qualitative narrative inquiry (Morison and Macleod, 2013;Ollerenshaw and Creswell, 2002;Polkinghorne, 2007;Sermijn et al, 2008;Rogan and De Kock, 2005). This framework is appropriate for exploring narrative constructions of the self providing space for subjects (Wolgemuth and Donohue, 2006) while not objectifying and claiming them (Tuck and Yang, 2014: 814).…”

When Narratives Travel: The Occupy Movement in Latvia and Sweden

“…Despite, or because of, the intensive engagement with narrative analysis within qualitative research, the field is characterized by ambiguities and controversies. Hence, one can hardly point to a coherent tradition of narrative analysis (Rogan & de Kock 2005). The focus of narrative semiotics is on how stories are told through the media, e.g.…”