Narratives Matter!

Abstract

Stories are everywhere: in the books we read, in the songs we listen to, in the movies we watch, in the media we engage with, and in our conversations with others. Importantly, formulating and sharing stories helps people create an identity and sense of self, while also bringing meaning and coherence to our lives. Through a narrative lens, it is understood that although we tell unique stories of our own personal experiences, we draw upon dominant sociocultural narratives to structure our tales. Thus, the stories out there – in the locker room, on the sports field, embedded within social and cultural settings – act as narrative resources to make sense of experiences such as sport injury. Yet, limited research attention has been afforded to the socialcultural context in sport injury psychology. This chapter will provide a brief description and overview of narrative before turning to the possibilities narrative inquiry can offer in understanding the impact of injury through sport. Here, two examples are drawn upon to illustrate how different sociocultural narrative types can shape interpretations of sport injury. Finally, the importance of taking a narrative approach in professional practice is critically discussed with suggestions for further research within this field.