Formal subtext analysis (FSA) in narrative interviewing

Abstract

AbstractIn the framework of the plot theory of the Russian-Estonian semiotician Juri Lotman, a text is only considered narrative and eventful if it contains “…a fact which takes place, though it need not have taken place”. In this respect, Lotman models the event on the basis of description and prescription. This approach can be seen as a functional method for reconstructing the subtext. In previous studies, Lotman's event was considered a contradiction using predicate logical statements that do not allow error-free formal conclusions. However, the correct conclusions could be deduced based on deontic remodeling and its extension to the modal model of the possible worlds. In this way, the subtext of narrative texts could be formally deductible and the interpretation calculable. The aim of our study was to demonstrate this reformulation of Lotman’s event model and to discuss its application as an extension of Qualitative Comparative Analysis of narrative texts from qualitative interviews, one of the basic methods of data collection employed in qualitative research. The proposed model, named formal subtext analysis is illustrated by analyzing a narrative interview with a doctor from a German mental health clinic.