Lives in Context: The Art of Life History Research (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Lives in Context. The Art of Life History Research Walter R. Heinz Ardra L. Cole and J. Gary Knowles , eds, Lives in Context. The Art of Life History Research. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 2001, 262 pp. This collection attempts to convince the reader that individual life histories can be valid sources for understanding human lives in context. The editors and contributors are a group of education researchers and professionals who have a background in the visual arts. They present their cause in the style of highly personal journeys ("epiphanies") that are presented as intellectual accomplishments. The book contains lead articles on "exploring method" by the editors and a collection of research vignettes from areas as different as nurses lives, ethical ideas in research, artistic interpretation etc. The editors claim an approach to life history research which highlights reflexivity, relationality, and artistry. They stress that oneself and one's place in the world can be promoted by understanding the lives of others. Most important in this respect is the intellectual and emotional responses to the stories being told and not so much systematic case comparisons. Knowles calls this vision of life history research, in which the researcher serves as the main instrument, as "organic and fluid" (p. 10) and as "arts-informed." In addition, the role of context is acknowledged as being all-powerful. The quality of research is linked to an intimate and authentic relationship between researcher and narrator/participant, an authentic feeling that leads to reflexive accounts of a life history. Consequently, narrations and life history documents are interpreted in an intersubjective, self-reflexive way and should be represented by art work, e.g. multi-media installations of life histories. The main audience envisioned are politicians and the community at large and not so much the academic community. It is unclear to me which audience this book is aiming for. The approach lacks any reference to the life course research framework (e.g. J.Z. Giele/G.H. Elder, Jr., eds, Methods of Life Course Research, Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1998). The authors present their life history approach as a means of personal- professional [End Page 316] understanding, as a sort of self-exploration instead of systematic research. Personal commitment is more important than solid research training: researching is declared to be "an autobiographical act" (p. 55). The editors praise themselves as "creative researchers" who differ from their conventional colleagues by collecting and presenting life histories in an authentic and self-reflexive fashion. Their approach reflects a confession of faith rather than a professional craft of life history research. Walter R. Heinz University of Bremen, Germany Copyright © 2004 The Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers canadiens de sociologie