Publication details
Narrative Oriented Inquiry: A Dynamic Framework for Good Practice
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | In Robinson, D., Fisher, P., Yeadon-Lee, T., Robinson, S.J., Woodcock, P.m (eds.), Narrative, Memory, and Identities |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Psychology |
| Keywords | transparency; fabula; sjuzet; NOI |
| Description | The key features of the Narrative Oriented Inquiry (NOI) are set out. It is argued that a story cannot simply be reduced to a set of themes. Narrative analysis differs from discourse analysis and thematic analysis in that there is a need to do justice to the story as a whole as well as the elements that make it up. Crucial to NOI is the distinction that needs to be made between fabula and sjuzet. The fabula is the basic outline of the events as they occurred (or might have occurred), while the sjuzet is the "way" in which the story is being told. We argue that it is the subtleties of the sjuzet that are especially important in understanding the way in which the individual actively engages in their own meaning-making and identity positioning. We will illustrate this with a worked example, demonstrating the crucial part played by the analysis of the sjuzet in narrative identity. |