Collective Narratives Research Articles

Muerte en la Catedral: Cenizas y ritos funerarios en los campos de fútbol

Un aspecto principal de los ritos funerarios y las prácticas mortuorias modernas y occidentales ha sido un desplazamiento de ubicaciones religiosas-institucionales a otras seculares-privadas. Sin embargo, algunas respuestas performativas, como esparcir las cenizas de los aficionados difuntos en estadios deportivos, continúan definiendo la muerte como una relación social emplazada en un sistema cultural de obligaciones simbólicas más amplio. Los esparcidos de cenizas en los estadios son actos de los que se cree que tendrán consecuencias para el futuro de la comunidad. Hay tres factores que convierten los estadios en emplazamientos pertinentes para la re-ritualización de la muerte: emoción, identidad, e iconicidad. Las intensas experiencias emocionales, la tradición familiar, las narrativas colectivas y el poder transformador del espacio liminal permiten a los aficionados imaginar su propia transición de muerto a vivo, y su presencia continua en el orden social.

Architectural, indoor environmental, personal and cultural influences on students’ selection of a preferred place to study

This paper aims to better understand the human inhabitation of buildings through an investigation of the influences of architectural order, indoor environmental as well as personal and cultural variables on student’s selection of a preferred place to study. The approach for this interdisciplinary inquiry is based on Integral Sustainable Design in combination with a simplified version of Integral Methodological Pluralism using methodologies from the disciplines of architectural design, architectural science and psychology. The results indicate that participant’s preferences emerged out of either personal or collective cultural narratives. The integral approach was useful to identify collective preference patterns as well as deviations from these and to understand why they occur. Important influences on participant’s selection of their preferred place to study were spatial characteristics, in particular a balance of prospect and refuge as well as individual past experiences, and the nature of the given task in this case study.

The transmission of violence and trauma across development and environmental contexts: Intimate partner violence from the perspective of men with histories of perpetration

BackgroundResearch has established a relation between ecological contexts and intimate partner violence (IPV), but little is known about how environmental factors affect childhood development over time and culminate in IPV perpetration from the perspective of men who perpetrated IPV. MethodsUsing grounded theory, this study employed focus groups with 32 predominately low-income, African American men in batterer intervention programs to explore factors and processes through which families, neighborhoods, and policy influence men's development, contributing to their use of IPV. Using an inductive approach, the researchers cycled between data collection and analysis resulting in a parsimonious conceptual model validated by participants. ResultsThree core categories emerged from focused and axial coding: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, structural forces, and systemic forces. Theoretical coding illuminated how these core categories relate to each other, producing a collective narrative illustrating how environmental contexts contributed to men’s development. Study participants described childhood exposure to adversity and trauma within the home that diminished essential foundations of trust and safety. Positive (e.g., Old Heads, matriarchs) and negative (e.g., gangs, community violence) structural neighborhood forces influenced the social learning of violence and exposed participants to re-traumatization outside the home during their adolescence. Finally, key macro forces such as mass incarceration exacerbated violence and trauma exposure through the proliferation of high-risk neighborhoods, predisposing men toward IPV as young adults. ConclusionsFindings reinforce the notion that environmental stress not buffered by protective adults profoundly affects development and behavior. From the perspective of male perpetrators, our results help identify those stressors and how they might contribute to male-to-female IPV.

The Role of 9 May Commemorations in the Discursive Construction of Russophone Identity in Estonia

Post-1991 attempts to integrate the Russian-speaking population in Estonia failed to address a significant identity aspect: their collective memory. The application of the mnemonic actor concept to ordinary individuals, rather than political elites, demonstrates the diverse constructions of collective memory narratives. Three prevailing types of narratives were identified through interviews, suggesting the heterogeneity of the local Russophone identity. All the narratives are attributed to the 9 May commemoration of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, but vary significantly in their temporal boundaries as well as in identity group inclusiveness. The latter is reflected in the respondents’ opposition to certain out-groups, especially Estonians or Russians in Russia.

The Leadership Gap: Supporting New Front line Leaders in Cancer Care

IntroductionAlthough an individual may have gained considerable competence and skill in their specific discipline, it is unclear what resources are required for an experienced clinician to develop to a clinical leader. As a first step for many, front line leadership positions are often the only practical way to develop behaviors suited to more advanced leadership roles in health care. A new role requires impactful change in perspective that creates intensive learning opportunities for staff and an organization. Conversely, this transition may also represent risk to those failing to adjust to new behaviors and environment. A paucity of scholarly literature on this subject makes recommendations for best practice challenging, particularly in cancer care. The goals of this project were to understand the current state of leadership orientation in a single cancer center, while encouraging collaborative dialog to connect and engage stakeholders. MethodsQualitative data were collected using a focus group with novice leaders and individual interviews with experienced leaders at a single cancer center. Novice leadership was defined as less than 2 years in a management role and experienced leadership as greater than 2 years of experience. The collective narrative was coded to identify repeating indigenous ideas and phrases. Broader review explored the relationships between concepts and categories to reveal important themes. ResultsThe narrative indicated that contributors understand the importance of support and guidance early in leadership development pathways. Additional findings revealed unmet expectations of novice leadership upon moving from individual clinical expert to front line leader and possible gaps in development support. Further examination of the data shows novice leaders are vulnerable and suggests that alongside didactic programming, peer support, mentorship, coaching with feedback, and project work underpin leadership development. ConclusionsThis project revealed positive behaviors enhancing new leader assimilation and performance while presenting possible solutions for apparent gaps in organizational support. Recommendations include creation of harmonized programming to address competency development and self-directed learning, enhanced peer support networks with job shadowing opportunities, and heightened organizational awareness of leadership transition supports.

MOVING BEYOND INDIVIDUAL COPING TO DEVELOPING SYSTEMS-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS FOR COMMUNITY-DWELLING ADULTS

According to AARP, the number of Americans aged 65 and older will grow to 90.5 million, which is double the count in 2010. Along with the growth of the aging population, we can also anticipate more diverse older adult communities due to increased immigration and evolving, complex family constellations. Two major concerns for aging adults is managing increasing geriatric conditions that affect mobility/function and chronic morbidities, while also trying to afford quality housing, the environmental context within which older adults spend most of their time. Urban planners and human service providers must remain abreast of the housing-health needs of this aging population and prepare aging-friendly communities that foster resident resilience and address “environmental, economic, and social factors that influence the health and wellbeing of older people” (AARP, 2017). In this symposium, panelists one present findings from a qualitative study to explore collective trauma and resilience narratives among residents in Flint, Michigan. Panelists two share findings from a community-based participatory study that explores the intricate network of relationships among residents as a core indicator of livability in senior housing. Panelists three share strategies for strengthening networks to reducing resident isolation and loneliness. Lastly, the fourth set of panelists discuss policy implications and trauma-informed approaches needed for residents with a history of interpersonal trauma.

Reclaiming Stigmatized Narratives

The social stigma looming over disclosures of sexual violence discourages many women from publicly sharing their stories, limiting their ability to seek support and obscuring the epidemic of sexual violence against women. By inviting women to share their ordinarily silenced stories, the hashtag #MeToo surfaced a network of survivors to confront this stigma. Through a mixed-methods analysis of over 1.8 million tweets posted during the first two weeks after #MeToo gained widespread popularity in 2017, we map the landscape of disclosures that emerged and disentangle the effects of network-level reciprocal disclosures, or disclosures made in reaction to seeing others disclose. We detail how survivors disclosed a diversity of sexual violence experiences in solidarity with others, composing nearly half of all authored tweets and comprising a disproportionate number of interactions within the #MeToo network. Further, we show that the more disclosures an individual potentially saw prior to disclosing, the more likely they were to share details with their disclosure. We argue that such network-level reciprocal disclosures may have reduced stigma, creating a counterpublic space safe for disclosure which, subsequently, generated more disclosures. Our work illustrates how feminist hashtag activism, like #MeToo, can unify individual and collective narratives to dismantle the stigma surrounding disclosures of sexual violence. Content warning: This article heavily discusses issues of sexual violence against women.

‘Getting in, getting on, getting out’: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff in UK higher education

ABSTRACT Research into the impact of neoliberalism has shown that institutional and individual pressure on staff working in Higher Education (HE), has changed over the last 30 years. Our first research study showed that the changes resulted in mostly negative experiences for White staff. In a second study we have investigated the impact of neoliberalism on Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff to investigate whether experiences matched those of their White colleagues. Drawing on narrative methodology, we undertook fourteen interviews, eight with BAME staff and six with White staff all with responsibility for equity in their institutions. We also drew on current and numerical data detailing employment patterns. While many of the negative impacts of neoliberalism were common to all staff, BAME staff offered a collective narrative focussing primarily on injustice, bullying and racism. Most striking was the pain resulting from simultaneous hypervisibility and invisibility of BAME staff, the continual questioning of their professional competence.

The notion of Mosel wine and its controversies

PurposeThe concept of terroir is institutionalized through geographical indications (GIs) in large parts of the wine-producing world. GIs in wine are associated with certain taste characteristics. Mosel wine is said to be slender and fresh. However, external sources of pressure are recognized as challenging this notion. The purpose of this paper is to explore the narrative construction of Mosel wine and how institutions, markets and climate are presented as having implications for its taste.Design/methodology/approachEthnographic fieldwork was carried out over ten weeks during the fall of 2016, consisting of three weeks of participant observation and 12 in-depth interviews. Post-fieldwork, data were interpreted as collective narratives. Additionally, a wide range of written sources on Mosel wine has been analyzed.FindingsIt is found that a development toward big-bodied wines was considered a threat to the region’s stylistic image, in which light-bodied wines represented the cornerstone. Consequently, this had triggered introspection and greater discursive attentiveness to “lightness” to preserve the credibility and identity of Mosel as a GI. Findings show that these aesthetic controversies functioned to recreate and consolidate the notion of Mosel wine and its sense of terroir.Originality/valueFocusing on how taste in wine is narratively produced, this paper utilizes an inductive approach rarely employed within terroir research.

Perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies as indicators of intergroup relations

PurposeThis study aims to explore intergroup relations between two Jewish religious groups in Israel, namely, ultra-Orthodox and national-religious communities, by using an integrated model that combines two psychosocial concepts: perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a representative sample of 402 ultra-Orthodox and 388 national-religious Jews living in Israel, of age 18 and over. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences in perceiving in-group and out-group collective narratives and in patterns of identity strategies. Further, partial correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the relative contribution of perceptions of collective narratives and patterns of identity strategies.FindingsWillingness to compete with and to separate from the out-group was related to the tendency to reject its collective narrative while endorsing the in-group one. In the same vein, the opposite pattern was found in the relations between willingness to integrate and unite with the out-group and the perceptions of collective narratives. The results also indicate group differences: the ultra-Orthodox exhibited stronger tendencies to preserve their in-group collective narratives and to reject the out-group, as well as stronger endorsement of identity strategies of competition and separation compared to national-religious.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that it might be useful to encourage dialogue between both groups to clarify each side’s narratives and rationale underlying the endorsement of specific identity strategies. Such an open dialogue could help each group understand the other group’s needs and might also reduce their sense of threat as well as anxiety about losing their religious and social uniqueness. One possible opportunity for such dialogue is workplaces in which members of each group can gradually uncover stereotypes, enhancing reconciliation and willingness to accept the “other’s” collective narrative and choose to adhere more to the similar than dissimilar characteristics.Originality/valueThis is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to examine collective narratives and identity strategies as powerful indicators of intergroup relations between two minority groups of the same religion. Within such a unique context, the power struggle exists and the separation and competition strategies are apparent, but the main conflictual issue is related to similarities and discrepancies of religious ideologies, values, norms and worldviews that shape one’s daily life and his/her encounter with the similar but different “other”.

A sense of national coherence and openness to the “other’s” collective narrative: The case of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

A sense of national coherence and openness to the “other’s” collective narrative: The case of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Making connections: a reflection on narrative group work with Latinx youth

ABSTRACT This narrative essay reflects on group work processes with Latinx youth integrating collective narrative therapy practices with digital filmmaking in a workshop format. Focusing on lessons learned, the essay describes the workshop process and outcomes, centering the voices of workshop participants through direct quotes from field notes and audio recordings. The essay considers the ways in which narrative practices in group work can be used to contribute to personal and societal transformation.

Revisitar preguntas desde el feminismo frente a un contexto agobiante sobre las minorías

This article presents different ways in which feminist theory problematizes and explains different modalities of exclusion and violence directed to subaltern groups. It is based on the premise that virtually all subalternized minorities are crossed by gender. This leads to analyzing the modalities of concentration and exercise of power, as well as the staggering of inequalities and oppressions in both individual and collective experience. Initially, a brief description is presented about the way the exercise of power is structured over difference. After it, we open three debates around feminist intervention: we introduce the way in which feminism is necessarily proposed as a transformative radical axiom; we take up part of the feminist inquires and methods when contesting common senses against in the social plane; and we propose the contribution of feminist practice as solidarity and as a critical way to transveralize coalitions of difference. We conclude reconstructing the possible operations on which collective narratives are generated among underrepresented groups.

Относно фантастичното в китайския филм „Легенда за котката демон“

“Heart of Darkness” is a multilayered but coherent work whose universally acclaimed appeal draws on its thematic preoccupation with the problems of initiation and cognition. The rich variety of interpretations and creative reworks of the novella vary from discussions of its importance as a sample of anticolonial fiction to the acknowledgement of its role as a precursor to contemporary fantastic literature. The first Bulgarian dramatisation of “Heart of Darkness”, screen-written and directed by Valeria Valcheva, is an insightful and successful attempt to do justice to both its contents and the suggestive power of its poetics translated into the language of drama. The performance combines the stylistic features of farce, cabaret, ritual and classical theatre, inserting fragments of Edgar Allan Poe, Vachel Lindsay, Tom Waits, Thomas Eliot and even Pushkin’s poems. Valcheva is particularly concerned with reading Conrad’s work as a “European” collective narrative where the African Other is rendered through the poetic features of mask-wearing and the symbolic “curtain” of the jungle. The performance is likewise accompanied by music that includes the “talking drums” of Congo, and its stage design was apparently borrowed from Orson Welles’s cinematic adaptations. One of the outstanding contributions of the Bulgarian performance to the earlier attempts at dramatising Conrad’s work is the use of a marionette to represent Kurtz’s self-glorified condition. The play likewise foregrounds the biographical aspect of Conrad’s work related to Conrad and Marguerite Poradowska’s correspondence.

„Сърцето на мрака“ – идеи и решения на първата българска постановка

“Heart of Darkness” is a multilayered but coherent work whose universally acclaimed appeal draws on its thematic preoccupation with the problems of initiation and cognition. The rich variety of interpretations and creative reworks of the novella vary from discussions of its importance as a sample of anticolonial fiction to the acknowledgement of its role as a precursor to contemporary fantastic literature. The first Bulgarian dramatisation of “Heart of Darkness”, screen-written and directed by Valeria Valcheva, is an insightful and successful attempt to do justice to both its contents and the suggestive power of its poetics translated into the language of drama. The performance combines the stylistic features of farce, cabaret, ritual and classical theatre, inserting fragments of Edgar Allan Poe, Vachel Lindsay, Tom Waits, Thomas Eliot and even Pushkin’s poems. Valcheva is particularly concerned with reading Conrad’s work as a “European” collective narrative where the African Other is rendered through the poetic features of mask-wearing and the symbolic “curtain” of the jungle. The performance is likewise accompanied by music that includes the “talking drums” of Congo, and its stage design was apparently borrowed from Orson Welles’s cinematic adaptations. One of the outstanding contributions of the Bulgarian performance to the earlier attempts at dramatising Conrad’s work is the use of a marionette to represent Kurtz’s self-glorified condition. The play likewise foregrounds the biographical aspect of Conrad’s work related to Conrad and Marguerite Poradowska’s correspondence.

Patient narratives of illnesses requiring abdominal surgery in Cambodia: Heroic/stoic, and dealing with ‘the ball of meat’

ABSTRACTThis study describes the illness narratives that inform treatment-seeking behaviours for acute abdominal conditions in Cambodia, and thereby explores factors impeding the timely delivery of surgical intervention. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with patients who had undergone abdominal surgery at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital between 2011 and 2014. Interviews collected basic demographic information and also patient narratives based on Groleau’s McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI). Interviews were contemporaneously translated from Khmer to English and recorded for transcription. A content analysis of interview transcripts based on narrative enquiry was undertaken. Ninety-seven patients participated in the study and five themes emerged from the data. These were: Explanatory models about the causes of abdominal pain and effects of surgery; Pre-surgery stoicism and illness management; Fear of poor outcomes and death; Burden of treatment costs and anticipated recovery time; and, Enhancing community trust in surgery. Our findings add the patient voice to the limited evidence about access to surgery, and socio-cultural and financial barriers affecting treatment-seeking behaviours in Cambodia. By understanding the collective narratives surrounding experiences of abdominal surgery, efforts to improve surgical services in Cambodia may be better informed of the reasons patients delay treatment.

Accessing rural health services: Results from a qualitative narrative gerontological study.

ObjectiveExplore how older adults’ talk about accessing rural community health services.MethodsA qualitative narrative gerontological approach explored issues related to accessing health services in their community. Semi‐structured digitally recorded individual interviews were undertaken with 32 community‐dwelling older people aged between 75 and 93 years. A narrative data analytic process was undertaken. The COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research guidelines were followed to ensure rigour in this study.ResultsThree collective narratives resulted from the data analytic process: (a) “accessing local health services”; (b) “accessing specialist services”; and (c) “accessing emergency services.”ConclusionsNarrators identified a number of issues related to accessing rural health services. These included long waiting times, lack of continuity in care provision by doctors and difficulties accessing specialist and emergency services. Nurses were frequently cited as a reliable point of contact for these older people. Expansion of nursing roles would enhance the provision of rural health‐care services.

Moral Claims in Sustainable Tourism Development

ABSTRACT The enriched data in this study, based on qualitative research, confirm on one hand the “goodness” of sustainable tourism development (STD) in developing regions. On the other hand, local stories in the community of Vicos in Peru undermined the “good actions” that were claimed by groups who represented the collective narrative about the “goodness” of STD. Local narratives in the community showed that there was jealousy towards the American NGO, participant families and tourists. These signals were twisted or left out in the collective narrative. This study demonstrates that a local community in STD cannot be considered as a homogeneous block without the presence of power struggles and contrasting values. Moreover, this study shows what impact normative moral claims on macro level have on micro level: It offers an insight which could be a careful first step towards an understanding of Fennell’s deep approach to ethics in tourism studies.

Rights, inclusion and citizenship: a good news story about learning in the early years

ABSTRACTIncluding all children is something many education settings aspire to, yet the outcome of children realising their right to an inclusive education remains elusive for far too many. In this article we present the narrative of an inclusive early childhood education setting. The first author undertook an ethnographic study of the experiences of an disabled child in a kindergarten1 in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of her Master of Education degree. This was done with the express intention of relaying a narrative of active participation, inclusion and citizenship experienced by that child and their family within that community. The collective narrative that emerged highlights what is possible for the meaningful inclusion of disabled children, not just in New Zealand but internationally, when communities act with inclusive intent. In this article we identify the themes of learner identity, adopting a pedagogy for participation, establishing a culture of belonging and contribution, and lastly, using the environment as the third teacher, which emerged after analysing interviews with some of the participants. Together these themes combine to provide an evaluative framework to review inclusive curriculum and performance in early childhood settings.

To Be or Not to Be a Hero

Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in and around a so-called War Hero Village (Ranavirugama) in northwestern Sri Lanka, this article traces the social (un)becomings of Sri Lankan Army veterans injured during the civil war with the Tamil liberation front. It argues that such veterans have long been able to draw on a materially rewarding narrative of sacrifice and carnal capital—epitomized in the honorific ranaviru (war hero)—in order to produce a particular kind of veteran citizenship, let alone subjectivity, and thus to pursue socially meaningful post-injury existences. In the eyes of the veterans themselves, however, this celebratory narrative is eroding and a “collective narrative” characterized by a kind of social forgetting of the injured veteran is emerging. Material benefits notwithstanding, this narrative contestation entails a “struggle for recognition” that threatens to leave them not only disabled but also with no one to be, or become.