Narrative Theory

Abstract

Humans are storytellers, and many disciplines are dedicated to the production, examination, and interpretation of stories. In health communication, narrative theory is particularly interested in meaning‐making as it exists in contexts of health, illness, and wellness. Delving into narrative theory in health communication is a somewhat confounding task considering the hard science frame that dominates biomedicine. Nevertheless, embracing narrative theory in health offers scholars a view of the human experience of health, wellness, and illness not available through other forms. To grasp the magnitude of narrative, one must understand the constitutive nature of communication and the ways stories (co‐, re‐, de‐)construct reality and identity. In health communication, there are innumerable examples of these ideas, so this overview of narrative theory is organized to examine the ideas behind creating and interpreting narratives, followed by a look at what it means to engage in a narrative life and the activism that flows from such a life. Examples of various expressions of health narrative are suggested for further study.

Understanding the Dynamics of Materials Adaptation in An English-Chinese Bilingual Storytelling Curriculum for First Graders

“…For example, Cadden (2022) found that since the 1980s, narrative theory has become the lens through which researchers view the narrative structure and representation of children's literature, such as the relationship between the author's voice and the narrator in stories. Stories employ narrative ways to make meaning, view human experiences, realize communication, and construct reality and identity (Davidson, 2023;Suparto, Lao, & Salim, 2023). Narrative inherently means meaning-making across genres and contexts (Davidson, 2023;Summers, 2022), and Summers (2022) has emphasized using narrative at both micro and macro levels.…”

“…Stories employ narrative ways to make meaning, view human experiences, realize communication, and construct reality and identity (Davidson, 2023;Suparto, Lao, & Salim, 2023). Narrative inherently means meaning-making across genres and contexts (Davidson, 2023;Summers, 2022), and Summers (2022) has emphasized using narrative at both micro and macro levels.…”