Narrative Discourse Analysis Research Articles

EXPRESS: Responsibilizing the Net-Zero Hero? Creation and Implications of a Tragic Subject Position

The energy sector is the largest contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions. To address the current climate emergency however, energy market actors (e.g., energy providers, nongovernmental organizations, policy makers) try to make individual consumers take responsibility for achieving an overall net balance of zero greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this research is to understand this process of responsibilization and its implications. The research method is a narrative discourse analysis of hundreds of public documents by energy market actors. The findings show that market actors try to shape ordinary consumers into “net-zero heroes” with responsibility for emissions reduction but end up creating a tragedy when they translate their collective agenda. These findings have implications for consumer responsibilization specifically and the conversion of agendas into action more generally. Theoretically, this research shows (1) the influence of the translation stage in the agenda-to-action chain, (2) the way market actors attempt to form net-zero heroes, and (3) the limited usefulness of the hero narrative. Practically, the research explains the implications of making consumers solely responsible for the emissions reduction problem.

Radical incrementalism: hydropolitics and environmental discourses in Laos

ABSTRACT The Nam Theun 2 dam is an influential case of applying safeguards to mitigate social and environmental impacts from hydropower, being used as a model for large dams globally. However, these safeguards have produced mixed results. We examine the role of safeguards in hydropower, and how stakeholders have discussed its use. Based on a literature review and stakeholder interviews, we conduct a discourse analysis of narratives used to frame hydropower. We find four discourses being used for different purposes: Green Neoliberalism to legitimize, Ecological Modernization to operationalize, Green Radicalism to criticize, and Radical Incrementalism to repurpose hydropower. Whereas green radicalism in high-income countries challenges over-consumption, we find that green radicalism in low-income countries highlights environmental justice and shortcomings of conventional development models. We argue for a broader understanding of discourses to include Radical Incrementalism as one strategy for change of careful and considered actions over time.

A narrative discourse analysis of analyzing James Joyce’s “Araby” through narrative discourse on multiple levels

A narrative discourse analysis of analyzing James Joyce’s “Araby” through narrative discourse on multiple levels

A narrative discourse analysis of soldier’s home by Ernest Hemingway: A micro and macro-structural narrative analysis

This article employs narrative discourse analysis to analyze Ernest Hemingway’s Soldier’s Home by using two narrative analysis frameworks that focus on the Macrostructure and Microstructure aspects of the story. The study aims to unveil the intricate structural and linguistic choices contributing to the meaning and impact of “Soldier’s Home” and the simple writing approach that Hemmingway utilized to write this story. This analysis has been chosen to explain and understand that stories are not merely a sequence of events but mirrors reflecting the intricacies of our psyche, inviting us to confront our fears, desires, and the enigmatic depths of human nature, and how lexical resources are deployed to express them. The analysis covers the story’s generic structure using Paltridge’s model of schematic structure, thematic nuances, psychoanalysis, and lexico-grammatical cohesion. Findings show that the writer follows a series of structural moves and uses a variety of narrative strategies such as a high level of involvement and a wide range of lexical and grammatical cohesive ties, which contribute to the creation of a well-formed text that has effectively achieved its purpose and made its intended effect. Keywords: Macrostructure; microstructure; narrative strategies; soldier’s home; storytelling.

Language impairment in sporadic and familial (type 8) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A comparative study.

Language is frequently affected in patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), with reduced performance in naming, syntactic comprehension, grammatical expression, and orthographic processing. However, the language profile of patients with familial type 8 ALS (ALS8), linked to p.P56S VAPB mutation, remains unclear. We investigated language in patients with ALS8 by examining their auditory comprehension and verbal production. We included three groups of participants: (1) patients with sALS (n = 20), (2) patients with familial ALS8 (n = 22), and (3) healthy controls (n = 21). The groups were matched for age, sex, and education level. All participants underwent a comprehensive language battery, including the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, the reduced Token test, letter fluency, categorical fluency (animals), word definition from the Cambridge Semantic Memory Research Battery, and a narrative discourse analysis. Participants also were evaluated using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Exam-Revised Version, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised. Compared to controls, sALS and ALS8 patients had impaired performance on oral (syntactic and phonological processing) comprehension and inappropriate discourse cohesion. sALS and ALS8 did not differ in any language measure. There was no correlation between language scores and functional and psychiatric scales. ALS8 patients exhibit language deficits that are independent of motor features. These findings are consistent with the current evidence suggesting that ALS8 has prominent non-motor features.

Primary Health Care Case-Management Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 has caused high morbidity and mortality in vulnerable people, such as those affected by chronic diseases, and case-management nurses (CMNs) are reference professionals for their health care and management. The objective of this study is to better understand the discourse, experiences, and feelings about the professional performance of CMNs during the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted by conducting semi-structured interviews with CMNs (n = 31) from the province of Seville (Spain) and performing a narrative discourse analysis. The Atlas Ti 6.2 software program was used. Two categories were defined: 1. CMNs' competencies (76 verbatim testimonies); and 2. Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic (61 verbatim testimonies). This study was granted due permission by the Research Ethics Committee belonging to the University of Seville, under protocol code: 1139-N-22. The pandemic caused an increase in CMNs' workload, and they had to assume their usual care tasks for vulnerable populations in addition to simultaneously prioritizing assistance in nursing homes. We can highlight CMNs' adaptation to the pandemic situation and to these new requirements in the context of their significant social commitment to the advanced practice of the profession, a commitment that is closely related to leadership. We should also indicate that interpersonal relationships were improved, and that there was technological progress. Some CMNs mentioned an increase in their workload and reported experiencing burnout syndrome. We conclude that CMNs' management of health care during the pandemic has been extraordinary, especially in regard to the most vulnerable populations of patients, including individuals with chronic diseases and institutionalized older adults, a fact that has been valued by the institutions and by society in general.

Jostling Discourses of Competition: Women leaders self-positioning

This study addresses the lack of research into social processes of competition in organizations and explores women leaders self-positioning in relation to the discourses of gendered competition and neoliberal competition. The discourses carry contradictory obligations for women. While the gendered competition discourse socially punishes competitive women, the neoliberal competition discourse expects competition. Through a feminist approach and critical discourse analysis of narratives from 52 women leaders we make two central contributions. First, we outline how the two discourses jostle together, fighting for attention and contradicting each other, provoking social ambiguity. We demonstrate how the women leaders adopt paradoxical self-positioning as ‘competitive–not competitive’ using four interconnected strategies of ‘denying’, ‘masking and reframing’, ‘moving on’ from and ‘diverting’ competition. Second, we extend studies of liminality and theorize how the discourses create liminality for women leaders. We elucidate how the women take up and disrupt the discourses by continually oscillating between paradoxical positions of being competitive, perceived as competitive, not competitive, no longer competitive, and competitive for organizations. Competition is identified as a toxic, gendered process, which is both harmful and aspirational, and both a liminal challenge and an opportunity for women leaders. We extend understandings of those who experience liminality in organizations, to women leaders and demonstrate how their paradoxical self-positioning affords them opportunities to discursively present as competitive.

Analyzing Science Communication Discourses in a Global Society: A Case Study of a Graduate School Classroom

This study anchored on constructivist grounded theory aimed to unveil discourses on science communication in a glocal society in a Philippine graduate school classroom. Virtual interviews were done with the participants. In vivo coding technique and narrative discourse analysis were used for data analysis. Results revealed seven emerging discourses on science communication in a graduate school classroom. These are 1) popularizing research- and evidenced-based knowledge, 2) focusing on truth and authenticity, 3) synergy of thinking skills, 4) social media engagement, 5) science communication in policymaking, 6) emancipation and empowerment through education, and peace and global understanding. The emerging discourses of Filipino graduate students reflect how they perceive science communication when positioned globally and applied locally. Science communication is a conduit for making science relevant and impactful to all social contexts through sound and accurate knowledge sharing and engagement of scientific and technical information. Integrating it into allied disciplines to maximize its practical application may emphasize science communication in an academic setting. Future researchers may replicate this study by exploring other methodologies and collaborating with international partner educational institutions to look into intercultural and cross-cultural constructs along this research interest.

Comparing narrative storytelling ability in individuals with autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Narrative discourse, or storytelling, is used in daily conversation and requires higher-level language and social communication skills that are not always captured by standardised assessments of language. Many autistic individuals and individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have difficulties with both social communication and language skills, and narrative discourse analysis offers an ecologically relevant approach to assessing those challenges. This study investigated narrative discourse in individuals with autism and FASD, as well as an age- and sex-matched comparison group. Narratives from 45 adolescents and adults, 11 with autism, 11 with FASD and 23 age- and sex-matched comparison participants were elicited using a wordless storybook. They were then transcribed orthographically, formatted to the Systematic Analyses of Language Transcript (SALT) convention and scored based on the SALT Narrative Scoring Scheme (NSS), a standardised language analysis protocol. In addition to the NSS total score, which assesses the overall structure and cohesion of the narratives produced, local and global measures of language ability were also employed. The local language measures included the number of mental state and temporal relation terms produced, while the global language measures included mean length of utterance, total different words, total words, total utterances, rate of speech, the number of mazes (e.g., repetitions, 'um', 'uh' or self-corrections) per total word and the NSS total score. Using the SALT Language Sample Analysis tool, our results revealed that on global language measures, group differences were found on rate of speech, number of mazes per total words and the description of conflict/resolution in the narratives produced. The autism group produced significantly more mazes per total word and scored higher on the NSS conflict/resolution category score compared to the FASD and comparison groups. Both the autism and FASD groups spoke at a lower rate than the comparison group. On local language measures of narrative production, all groups were comparable, on average. While many aspects of narrative discourse in the autism and FASD groups were similar to each other and to the comparison group, we observed group differences on global measures of narrative production and significant individual variability within groups, suggesting that narrative abilities considered at an individual level may provide important clinical information for intervention planning. Future research should also consider additional variables that influence narrative discourse, such as motivation, distractibility or decision-making of individual participants. What is already known on the subject Narrative discourse, or storytelling, is used in daily conversational interactions and reveals higher-level language skills that may not be well captured by standardised assessments of language. Many autistic individuals and individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) show difficulty with pragmatic and expressive language skills. What this paper adds to existing knowledge We found that many aspects of the narratives produced by the adolescents/young adults in the autism and FASD groups were comparable to each other and to the neurotypical group. However, the groups differed on three global measures of narrative production: rate of speech, number of mazes per total words and the description of conflict/resolution in the narratives produced. Also, significant variability was observed within groups, suggesting that narrative abilities should be considered at an individual level as opposed to their clinical groups. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study showed that narrative discourse is an appropriate task that can be added to routine clinical assessments of language abilities in autistic adolescents/young adults as well as those with FASD or typical development and has the potential to reveal higher-level, real-world language skills. An important clinical implication of this study is that narrative language abilities should be considered at an individual level and individual-tailored interventions based on ability level due to the variability observed across individuals.

Later Is aCis-HeteroPatriarchal Time Zone: Narratives of Resistance to LGBTQI+ Inclusion amongst Humanitarian Practitioners

AbstractThe plight of forcibly displaced LGBTQI+ people has become increasingly visible in Western media and scholarship within the past 10 years. Yet, despite increasing commitments and an expanding number of dedicated reports and initiatives, LGBTQI+ individuals remain discriminated against, exposed to violence, and excluded from humanitarian assistance. This article investigates the disconnect between global rhetoric and the persistent exclusion of LGBTQI+ people from most humanitarian relief programmes by conducting a critical discourse analysis of narratives deployed by humanitarian protection actors regarding LGBTQI+ inclusion. Drawing from interviews with humanitarian workers and humanitarian guidance documents, it argues that several mutually reinforcing discourses are currently at play within the humanitarian system to endlessly delay the meaningful inclusion of forcibly displaced LGBTQI+ people. These narratives not only uphold the cis-heteronormative and racist structures upon which the humanitarian system is constructed but also contribute to further stigmatization and anti-LGBTQI+ violence in an increasingly polarized world.

Tracking the transmission of culture: a cultural discourse analysis of narratives of circulation in the US undergraduate public speaking course

ABSTRACT Ethnography of communication studies conducted by communication scholars, including those informed by cultural discourse theory, typically approach the cultural transmission of discursive resources using a narrow conception of language socialization. In this conception, expert speakers instruct or otherwise compel novice speakers to speak in locally recognized, normative ways and thereby achieve or affirm membership in the collective. I perform the cultural discourse analysis of narratives of circulation to extend this approach. In particular, I study narratives representing the movements of the Anglo-American speech genre known as public speaking in a US undergraduate course and a series of focus groups. Speakers narrated movement along four paths: from beyond the classroom into the classroom; inside the classroom (with the class acting as primary agent of dissemination); inside the classroom (with student speakers acting as secondary agents of dissemination); and from the classroom beyond the classroom. The analysis suggests three extensions of the existing approach to cultural transmission and, thereby, of cultural discourse theory: accounting for cultural ideologies (or metacultures) of transmission; producing more comprehensive accounts of transmission’s participation structure; and accounting for the local meanings of mobile resources both in context and in motion.

A narrative discourse analysis of analyzing James Joyce’s “Araby” through narrative discourse on multiple levels

This article employs narrative discourse analysis to analyze James Joyce’s short story “Araby” by using two narrative analysis frameworks that focus on the macrostructure and microstructure aspects of the story. The analysis covers the story’s purpose, generic structure, and lexico-grammatical cohesion. The writer follows a series of structural moves and uses a variety of narrative strategies (e.g., a high level of involvement and a wide range of lexical and grammatical cohesive ties), which contribute to the creation of a well-formed text that has effectively achieved its purpose and made its intended effect. This macro-structural analysis sheds light on the story’s thematic elements, character development, and overall narrative trajectory, providing a deeper understanding of its intended message and impact. The article unveils Joyce’s underlying linguistic mechanisms to convey meaning and evoke emotion within the narrative. By exploring the story’s purpose, structure, and linguistic nuances, the analysis offers valuable insights into Joyce’s narrative techniques and the profound impact of “Araby” as a well-formed literary text. This analysis of James Joyce’s “Araby” through narrative discourse analysis offers valuable insights that can be applied in the classroom to enrich student engagement with literature.

Micro and macro‐linguistic analysis of narrative discourse in Moroccan patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

AbstractBackgroundThe production of narrative discourse or connected speech implies dynamic and complex functions at different levels of neuro‐cognitive, micro (parts of speech) and macro‐linguistic processing (cohesion and coherence). Such functions are classically impaired in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several studies have described these impairments in European languages; however, no study has characterized them in terms of neuro‐psycholinguistic patterns in Arabic.MethodWe studied the speech sample of six patients with moderate Alzheimer’s disease from the Alzheimer’s Center in Rabat. They described orally the picture of cookies theft subtest (BDAE). They meet the clinical criteria for AD (McKhann, 2011). The average age is 69 years (SD: 5.9; 61‐77) and of education is 13.6 years (SD: 2.3; 9‐15), duration of the disease is 5 years (SD 2.09; 3‐8). The neuropsychological assessment has been carried out with MoCA (Montréal Cognitive Assessment), MIS (Memory Impairment screen), Fluency tasks and Clock drawing test. Regarding discourse analysis and psycholinguistic variables, we used the method which has been described by Croisile (1996) and Boschi et al (2017).ResultThe neurolinguistic assessment showed an impairment of macro‐linguistic variables. The effectiveness of speech was clearly one of the most impaired variables as well as the syntactic complexity in the majority of patients. Cohesion has been lower than local and global coherence. These macro‐linguistic performances revealed a pragmatic dysfunction as part of the neuropsycho‐linguistic profile of our patients depending on their disease duration. However, at a micro‐linguistic level, functional words and verbs were the most produced in oral description compared to nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Such results might evoke the hypothesis of an impairment of explicit linguistic knowledge which involved different intra and inter‐linguistic systems in AD.ConclusionThe wide range of cognitive‐linguistic impairments which has been highlighted during the cookie theft picture description, showed the importance of assessing micro and macro‐linguistic impairments in narrative speech in Moroccan patients with AD. Such linguistic task is an added‐value to formal assessments and follow‐up of cognitive decline in AD.

When Language Rewrites History: A Narrative Discourse Analysis of Rory McCarthy's Nobody Told Us We Are Defeated: Stories from the New Iraq

When Language Rewrites History: A Narrative Discourse Analysis of Rory McCarthy's Nobody Told Us We Are Defeated: Stories from the New Iraq

In Front of God, Next to the Neighbours

Abstract This article presents how emotions contribute to the construction of self-images by shaping perceptions of particular problems that arise during cultural encounters, as described in Turkish instruction textbooks in Germany. I argue that textbooks serve as key information and emotion entrepreneurs, generating emotional resources to shape particular understandings of problems while constructing self-image(s) in transgenerational and transcultural contexts during these encounters between heritage- and mainstream-cultures. A critical discourse analysis of narratives depicting how they were considered as a challenge to the socio-cultural belonging of the actors of heritage culture would highlight textbooks’ representative role as agents of social change through the adoption of specific discursive components and strategies. In addition to research on emotions and textbooks, the analysis would contribute to the study of religion by demonstrating how debates referring to religious reasoning can be approached as social issues perceived and conceptualized through an emotional framework attached to socio-cultural belonging.

Fictions of the Mind: A Psychoanalytical and Cognitive Narratological Analysis of Mediacy in D.H. Lawrence’s <i>The Fox</i>

As its main goal, this study seeks to contribute to the analysis of narrative discourse by investigating the strategies and devices provided by modern prose fictions like D.H. Lawrence’s The Fox for constructing/representing fictional minds or the consciousness of fictional characters in narrative texts. The paper is structured in two sections. Drawing from the insights of both Classical and Poststructuralist narratology, the theoretical section of this paper brings together narratological theories, methods, concepts and devices for representing textual minds and consciousness: psychonarration, free indirect discourse (narrated monologue), interior monologue, stream of consciousness, focalization, reflectorization, cognitive methods, and devices of mental states. The second is the analytical section which constitutes a practical demonstration of how the above narratological methods, concepts and devices can fulfill descriptive, interpretive and analytical functions with respect to the question of how fictional minds and consciousness are represented or manifested in modern narratives. On the whole, the paper attempts to answer the question, which narratological categories and methods are relevant for the analysis of mind-related aspects of narrative discourse? For illustrative purposes, D. H. Lawrence’s The Fox is used as staging grounds.

A Mordovian settlement as a site and community of historical memory: collective narratives and representations

Introduction. The article summarizes the results of a study of social practices and narratives of the commemoration of the victims of mass political repression in the village of Kruglyi (the Republic of Mordovia) that was established as a permanent settlement in the period of collectivization. Materials and Methods. The theoretical framework of the study consists of social theories of “memory sites” and collective trauma. The method of collecting empirical data corresponded to case study, including observation, in-depth interviews and discourse analysis of media publications. The data were analyzed using the methods of thick ethnographic description and narrative discourse analysis. Results and Discussion. The article reviews the social context of local commemoration; identifies the main stages and practices of creating a “place of memory” in the village of Kruglyi by constructing a self-made monument of stained oak with a memorial plaque, and its subsequent mediatization. The authors analyze local discourses and narratives of social memory and material aspects of commemoration; regional, identify national and international mnemonic actors, acting as agents of the process of cultural trauma. They reveal and interpret the content of competing narratives of victimization and devictimization of the local community. Conclusion. Based on the data obtained in the course of fieldwork, the authors deconstruct media of the history of the village and identify two different models of its description. They conclude that these models are conditioned by various models of commemorating social trauma: one is “therapeutic”, focused more on deprivation and the loss of group identity; another one is “macrohistoric”, or in other words based on interpreting trauma as an aspect of social transformation seen as a process containing prerequisites for working the trauma out.

Quantitative Analysis of Narrative Discourse by Autistic Adults of Underrepresented Genders.

Narrative production is an important part of the diagnostic process for autism. Most existing research on narrative production by autistic people has focused on cisgender men and boys. Members of other genders (i.e., nonbinary people, transgender men, and trans and cisgender women) are underrepresented in the research literature. Research with non-autistic adults consistently reports gender differences in narrative production. When adults whose genders are underrepresented seek autism diagnosis as adults, they may be misdiagnosed due to misconceptions about autistic communication that are based on cisgender male speakers. Twenty autistic adults of various genders each told four narratives: two based on a picture and two about their personal experiences. Dependent variables measured narrative length, grammatical complexity, vocabulary diversity, filled pauses, and internal state terms. Researchers used nonparametric statistics to compare groups of (1) cisgender men and all other participants, (2) participants assigned male at birth and those assigned female, and (3) self-identified women, nonbinary people, and men. Women used significantly less diverse vocabulary than men. Women used more terms to refer to internal states than both nonbinary people and men, but this finding was not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. All other comparisons were not statistically significant. Autistic narrators of diverse genders have more linguistic similarities than differences. Autistic women may be more likely to talk about emotions and other internal states than autistic men. Gender-based expectations for spoken communication about internal states should be carefully reconsidered. More research is necessary to determine whether the results of this small study will generalize to larger samples of autistic people whose genders are currently underrepresented in the research literature.

The Breakup of Yugoslavia in the Research and Political Discourses of Russia and Serbia

The breakup of Yugoslavia has become one of the key events of the postbipolar world order and has occupied a special place in the discourse in both politicians of Serbia and Russia. However, interpretations of the crisis, its causes and main driving forces, as well as its use as a reference object in contemporary national and political discourse differ significantly in Serbia and Russia. One of the important subjects is that in both countries, at the level of both discourses, there is a convergence of radical versions, and in the changing structure of European international relations, the role of an external factor in the tragedy of disintegration acquires a special sound. In this article, a discourse analysis of narratives of the Yugoslav crisis in academic and political discourse in a cross-country perspective is conducted using a social constructivist approach. The study seeks to deconstruct the images of the “guilty ones” in the Yugoslav crisis and to consider the features of using peculiarities of the crisis image in contemporary political discourse. It explores how the formal discourse of academics further influenced the discourse of politicians in the Russian and Serbian cases.

Systematization of initiatives in sexual and reproductive health about good practices criteria in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in primary health care in Chile.

Introduction The COVID- 19 pandemic discontinued sexual and reproductive health care in Chile and the world. The national focus on hospital care led primary care teams to respond in natural and diverse ways. Understanding the factors involved in this process may improve future responses from the judgment of good practices. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and systematize sexual and reproductive health initiatives raised by primary care teams in response to the COVID- 19 pandemic in Chile. Methods We systematically evaluated initiatives and practices in sexual and reproductive health in prima-ry care between June 2020 and November 2021. This study was developed in three methodological phases: a review of documents, a collection of experiences through an electronic instrument sent to the 29 health services in Chile, and in-depth interviews. According to best practice criteria, mapping and characterizing the initiatives and critical discourse analysis of narratives and interviews were carried out. Results Forty-one initiatives from 19 health services were identified, mainly from the South Central macro zone and urban areas. In these areas, care was recognized. These practices were relevant, aligned with their objectives, rapidly implemented, and used novel strategies through new technologies. However, these initiatives had little intercultural relevance or evaluation. Perceived success was related to motivation, leadership, and institutional and community resilience. The adaptability of initiatives emerged as a new need and criterion of analysis. Conclusion The lessons learned from these initiatives invite us to consider health care teams' mental health, their relationship with the community, the use of new technologies, the evaluation of practices considering satisfaction, cross- cutting approaches, and their adaptability. In all, these aspects may improve primary care response in sexual and reproductive health to new crises.