Abstract
Undertaking narrative research with children with intellectual disability is a practical, ethical and methodological challenge. Rather than the traditional focus on how this challenge can be overcome, this paper takes up an alternative position by focusing on the relationship between disability and the wider narrative research environment. The focused commentary on the literature provided interjects into narrative methods debates by questioning what this challenge teaches us about the taken-for-granted tenets of the narrative approach. The commentary draws out broad themes from existing literature and is declared from the outset as operating from the theoretical field of critical disability studies. Specifically, the review takes up Fiona Kumari Campbell’s work on ableism, requiring that analysis and focus on amending problems that disability draws attention to does not remain with children with disability. Rather, a refocus towards implementing change within broader ableist practices, in this case within narrative research orthodoxy, is obligatory.
Highlights
Intellectual disability can present linguistic and cognitive problems in narration, meaning that narratives may not be taken seriously (Atkinson 2005)
In keeping with a critical disability studies perspective (Goodley 2013), and incorporating insights from Fiona Kumari Campbell’s (2009) work around the concept of ableism, this paper begins with disability, shifts and retains focus upon narrative inquiry as the identified area in need of remedial action
This article focused on narrative debates and narrative orthodoxy using the case of challenges in narrative research with children with intellectual disability as a litmus test for take-for-granted aspects of narrative inquiry
Summary
Undertaking narrative research with children with intellectual disability is a practical, ethical and methodological challenge. Rather than the traditional focus on how this challenge can be overcome, this paper takes up an alternative position by focusing on the relationship between disability and the wider narrative research environment. The focused commentary on the literature provided interjects into narrative methods debates by questioning what this challenge teaches us about the taken-for-granted tenets of the narrative approach. The commentary draws out broad themes from existing literature and is declared from the outset as operating from the theoretical field of critical disability studies. The review takes up Fiona Kumari Campbell’s work on ableism, requiring that analysis and focus on amending problems that disability draws attention to does not remain with children with disability. A refocus towards implementing change within broader ableist practices, in this case within narrative research orthodoxy, is obligatory
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