Narrative Analysis

Narrative analysis in the human sciences refers to a family of approaches to
diverse kinds of texts, which have in common a storied form. As nations and
governments construct preferred narratives about history, so do social
movements, organisations, scientists, other professionals, ethnic/racial groups,
and individuals in stories of experience. What makes such diverse texts
“narrative” is sequence and consequence: events are selected, organised,
connected, and evaluated as meaningful for a particular audience. Storytellers
interpret the world and experience in it; they sometimes create moral tales –
how the world should be. Narratives represent storied ways of knowing and
communicating (Hinchman and Hinchman, 1997). I focus here on oral
narratives of personal experience.