Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences (SUNY series in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences)

This book expands the concept of the nature of science and provides a practical research alternative for those who work with people and organizations. Using literary criticism, philosophy, and history, as well as recent developments in the cognitive and social sciences, Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences shows how to use research information organized by the narrative form—such information as clinical life histories, organizational case studies, biographic material, corporate cultural designs, and literary products. The relationship between the narrative format and classical and statistical and experimental designs is clarified and made explicit. Suggestions for doing research are given as well as criteria for judging the accuracy and quality of narrative research results. Contents Preface / ix I Introduction / I The realms of human existence / I The study of narrative meaning / 6 The plan of the book / II II Narrative Expression / 13 The term “narrative” / 13 The pervasiveness of narratives / 14 Suppositions about human experience / 15 The narrative scheme / 17 Narrative and language / 22 Narrative as discourse / 31 Narrative expression / 36 III History and Narrative / 37 History and formal science / 37 Analytic philosophy and history / 43 Narrative and French historiography / 56 History as explanatory discourse / 57 History as narrative discourse / 59 Historical narratives / 62 Ricoeur on narrative and history / 64 IV Literature and Narrative / 71 Prestructural American criticism / 72 Structuralism and narrative / 79 Written narratives and point of view / 94 Reception theory / 96 viii NARRATIVE KNOWING AND THE HUMAN SCIENCES V Psychology and Narrative / 101 The history of narrative study in psychology / Self-Narrative / 105 Narrative competence / 107 Life-span development / 114 Freudian psychoanalysis and narrative / 119 Organizational Consultation / 122 VI Human Existence and Narrative / 125 Narrative and temporality / 126 Action and narrative / 135 Narrative and the self / 146 VII Practice and Narrative / 157 Human experience as narrative / 157 Research with narrative / 161 Psychotherapy / 1 78 Conclusion / 183 101 Notes / 185 References / 215 Index / 229