Narratives Of Experience Research Articles

Comparative Study of HMD-based Virtual and Augmented Realities for Immersive Museums: User Acceptance, Medium, and Learning

Technologies like Head Mounted Display (HMD)-based Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have made HMD-based immersive museums possible. To investigate the user acceptance, medium, and interaction experience for HMD-based immersive museums, an app entitled The Extended Journey has been designed, developed, and deployed on both VR headsets and AR headsets. Subsequently, a between-subjects design experiment with 62 participants was conducted to measure the user experience and learning outcome in HMD VR and HMD AR conditions. Quantitative results revealed that HMD VR museums had statistically significantly better immersion and empathy compared to HMD AR museums. Qualitative data indicated HMD-based immersive museums were embraced by most young participants while HMD VR had better user acceptance than HMD AR for immersive museums. The interview also demonstrated that the advantage of the HMD-based immersive museum over the traditional online museum is not only the sensory immersion from the medium itself but also the interactive narrative experience that the HMD medium facilitates, especially the natural interaction with the CG characters and the environment in the story.

Maģiskās glābšanas stāsti par svētās Agatas brīnumiem Stirnienes draudzē

In a small north-western Latgale community, Stirniene parish of St. Lawrence, personal experience narratives that highlight folk Christianity have been documented during the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. In these narratives, supernatural aid and miraculous salvation in crucial situations are frequently occurring motifs. The cult of saints has a significant role in Latgalian folk Christianity, and these narratives reveal the deep roots of one of the most popular cults of saints – the worship of Saint Agatha in Stirniene parish. Saint Agatha is the patron saint for fire and other disasters. On Saint Agatha’s Day – the 5th of February – bread, water, and salt are consecrated in Catholic churches in Latvia; these items are believed to prevent fire, cure humans and livestock animals, and protect against supernatural evil powers. The coexistence and interlapping of Christian and folk worldviews are presented in the paper, showing the appreciation of the sacramentalia consecrated on this day (bread, water, salt) and exposing the testimonies of miraculous aid through the use of such sacramentalia. Despite the profound political, economic, and cultural changes of the 20th century, and especially of the prohibition of religious practices during the Soviet occupation, it can be concluded that Saint Agatha’s Day traditions persevere both in older and younger generations. The corpus of personal experience narratives collected in Stirniene presents the miraculous salvation stories connected to Saint Agatha’s sacramentalia, thus displaying the continuity of the traditional worldview and values of the informants. The variety of different individual approaches to using Saint Agatha’s bread and water is characterised. The biographical method has been used in the research.

Embedding the service user voice to co-produce UK mental health nurse education-A lived experience narrative.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Co-production aims to value service user voices and is increasingly used in healthcare. Less is known about how co-production in nursing education is experienced by service users. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper shares the experience of one service user who teaches student nurses in a UK university. For the first author, the paper highlights that co-producing nurse education has been valuable and rewarding for both a service user and students. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Co-production has the potential to benefit student nurses, including challenging their perceptions of 'difficult' patients. To achieve this, teaching sessions must be equally produced and delivered. By employing and including service users, universities have the potential to improve experiences for students and service users alike. ABSTRACT: Introduction Co-production is increasingly used in health care but there is less attention to a co-produced mental health nurse education. Aim This article sought to explore the co-production experiences of a service user who teaches mental health nurses, alongside the benefits of this to nurse education. Methods The article is a lived experience narrative co-written with a nursing lecturer. Thesis Co-produced mental health nurse education challenges students' perceptions towards self-harm and encourages empathy and understanding of service user distress. Implications for Practice Co-production has many benefits to nurse education including a positive student experience, and validation of the service user experience to support meaningful recovery.

The key: Abstraction, embodiment, and proper distance within the virtual home

The emergence of virtual reality (VR) humanitarian filmmaking as a genre over the past ten years has generated a large body of critical debate around the efficacy and ethics of VR as a tool for generating empathy towards marginalised communities. Whilst numerous studies have indicated the potential for VR to impact empathy levels of end users, there have been recurrent critiques of the power dynamics of VR production, as well as the value of empathy as a means of producing social change. Lacking in these discussions has been a detailed consideration of VR aesthetics and the extent to which stylistic strategies impact audience positioning. Through the example of the animated VR experience The Key (Celine Tricart, 2019), this article will explore experience design in the context of ethical debates around humanitarian VR. As an interactive, narrative experience that addresses themes of loss and displacement, The Key can be productively analysed in relation to both VR ethics and wider cultural understandings of home and belonging. Responding to ethical debates around proximity within immersive experiences, the article will examine aesthetic strategies within The Key for ensuring what Roger Silverstone has labelled “proper distance” between the user and the virtually represented space. Through its use of visual abstraction and simplification, as well as the limited physical interaction it affords with its virtual world, the virtual home of The Key will be understood as a site of resistance to universalising narratives of home, one which invites critical reflection on the factors that determine our access to shelter.

Narratives of stressful and traumatic personal experience disclosed by students with mental health conditions in medical consultations

Abstract This paper advances the field of narratives by focusing on the narratives of personal experience disclosed by students with mental health conditions, in particular depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder, in medical consultations. I draw on sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic approaches to the analysis of narratives in interaction, viewing language as a tool for constructing social reality, and examine the content, structural properties and functions of the stories (Labov & Waletzky, 1967; De Fina & Georgakopoulou, 2011). Engaging in self-disclosure and sharing stories of stressful and traumatic experience in medical consultations allows the students (1) to explain symptoms and interpret causes of their current health problems, (2) manage accountability, and (3) confront and cope with their painful experience and stigma.

‘They all of a sudden became new people’: Using reproductive justice to explore narratives of hormonal contraceptive experience in Sweden

This study explores how Swedish women narrate experiences of hormonal contraceptives through utilizing the frameworks of biomedicalization and reproductive justice, adding a social justice perspective previously lacking. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with women who had experience of using hormonal contraception. Political narrative analysis illuminated how these women moved narratively both chronologically, from the teenage years to adulthood, and through social positioning, in their contraceptive stories. Two different, often conflicting, discourses of hormonal contraceptives emerged, which the women constantly negotiated. These can be described as (1) a biomedical interpretative prerogative, promoting hormonal methods as an easy fit for everyone, and negating the diverse lived experiences of women, and (2) a simplified critical media and online discourse, painting hormonal methods as an enemy to female health. From a reproductive justice standpoint, these stories illuminate that age is a relevant intersectional location, and even privileged women in a country known for its ‘gender equality agenda’ can experience subtle yet very real, reproductive coercion, when agency becomes constrained to choosing hormonal contraceptives within a dominant biomedical script. Even though critique of the mechanistic prescription of hormonal contraception is rather ubiquitous, the opposition in these narratives does not take the form of rejection of biomedical knowledge, rather the biomedical paradigm is internalized and incorporated into the embodied knowledge. This study shows that upstream factors such as gendered social injustices, reproductive norms, and a biomedical expansion are intricately interwoven with embodied experience of hormonal contraceptive use. It is important to acknowledge that distinct lived experiences of mood or personality change in women using hormonal contraceptives are contextual and dependent on intersectional location. I propose no simple panacea, but when a state-sanctioned biomedical prerogative puts all emphasis on individual reproductive planning behaviour, it obscures structural inequalities and narrows imaginable life trajectories.

A Mixed-Method Approach to Explore Successful Recruitment and Treatment of Minority Patients on Therapeutic Cancer Clinical Trials at a Tertiary Referral Center Using Photo-Elicitation Interviews.

Under-represented minority patients (URM) enroll in cancer clinical trials (CCT) at low rates. To gain insight into barriers and facilitators to CCT enrollment, we conducted a mixed method study of URM patients who were successfully treated on a therapeutic CCT from 2018-2021 at all institutional sites. A retrospective chart review of 270 minority patients was conducted to identify patient demographics and characteristics. All living URM patients were requested to participate in a survey and qualitative interview using a photo elicitation technique. Most patients who participated in a CCT were patients with solid tumors, metastatic disease, and did not live in a rural area. Survey data showed that the two most significant drivers of CCT enrollment were potential of benefit to self and to others (altruism). Direct recommendation from a healthcare provider to participate in CCT was critical. URM patients enrolled on a CCT experience a significant burden of symptoms and financial distress. Key themes identified from the interviews that motivated patients to participate included chance for cure, staying positive, altruism and advancement of science, and having diverse representation in research. Patient-level facilitators to participation included social support, cost coverage, and limited treatment options. Sytematic facilitators identified included minimizing logistical barriers, decentralizing cancer clinical trials, increasing awareness via patient narratives, diversifying research staff, minimizing cost, and being clear on puropose and benefit of the trial. Success stories of minority recruitment can provide useful information to enhance minority accrual. Photo elicitation interviews provide rich narratives of patient experience.

Aespa's Virtual Member Existence in the SMCU Episode 1 "Black Mamba" Short Movie

This qualitative study analyses the phenomenon of virtual characters in "Black Mamba" a short film from SM Entertainment's SMCU (SM Culture Universe) series featuring the girl group Aespa on YouTube, in order to examine the dynamics of communication in new media. The analysis uses Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic framework to explore how signs, objects, and interpretations interact in the film. The findings emphasise SM Entertainment's skilled integration of virtual and physical realms with the SMCU concept. Virtual personas appear to transcend digital boundaries, creating a captivating aura of mystery. Humans form strong emotional connections with these virtual characters, most likely in the real world, giving rise to a feeling of wanting to live together with the virtual characters. In addition, the research highlights the importance of virtual character's interaction in the real-world environment, prompting reflection on technology-mediated human engagement. Incorporating philosophical quotations, particularly those of Jean-Paul Sartre, adds to the philosophical consideration of the narrative. In conclusion, this study offers a profound insight into the role of new media, such as YouTube, in the creation of a distinct narrative experience. It encourages a scholarly discussion of the intersections of semiotics, identity, and technology in today's popular culture.

Writing disclosure: to tell or not to tell?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore from a lived experience perspective the factors impacting on the decision to disclose experiences of abuse to gain support. The author hopes to inform healthcare and allied professionals of the barriers people face when disclosing traumatic experiences to facilitate learning.Design/methodology/approachThe author has shared various experiences of sharing details of traumatic experiences. It is important to reflect on the narratives of those with living experience to facilitate learning and opportunities to remove any common barriers to disclosure.FindingsThis lived experience narrative will support healthcare and allied professionals to reduce any barriers to disclosure so that early intervention may be facilitated. Collaborative learnings and reflection which support professionals and those with lived experience to work together to create meaningful services which support people in recovery and support is important.Originality/valueThis is the unique perspective and experience of the author which is shared to facilitate understanding and the removal of barriers to disclosure.

Um estudo sobre os efeitos da paisagem em Não verás país nenhum, de Ignácio de Loyola Brandão

The geography and the literature reveal themselves intimate through deep interactions that intertwine the narratives of human experiences through places, spaces and landscapes. According to the approximation of both fields, the present study approaches the effects of the landscape in Não Verás País Nenhum, by Ignácio de Loyola Brandão, with the main goal to examine what are the strategies used by the novelist to articulate science and art, as well as reveal questions of human conscience in relation to the preservation of the environment. For the development of the bibliographic research, theoretical support was sought of the reflections of Gaston Bachelard (2005); Anne Cauquelin (2007); Michel Collot (2013) and Juhanni Pallasmaa (2017).

The Return of Memory: Architecture and Landscape in Wienfried Georg Sebald’s Austerlitz and in the Autobiographical Stories of Lithuanian Exiles

In the 1930s and 1940s, the mass destruction of ethnoses and deportations of populations, which shattered the fates of states and people, shock Eastern Europe. In contemporary theories of trauma and memory studies, in addition to the political evaluation of those events, the study of place-based memory has been gaining attention, turning the research of cultural and individual memory back to the fundamental conflict provoked by the loss of place—the erosion of the connection with the land (place), which forms the base of person’s identity. In this article, I analyze the narratives of different national experiences—Sebald’s novel Austerlitz and the egodocumentary of Lithuanian exiles—from the perspective of place, tracing the impact of landscape and architecture on the memory processes of genocide survivors, as expressed in the specific literary works and testimonies. By reasoning that the criteria of the historicity and documentary character and the qualities of the narratives as transmitting traumatic experiences validate the comparison of the novel and testimonies, I ask why the compositional role of the reflection of the place, i.e., landscape and architecture, in organizing the novel’s narrative has been missing in the autobiographical texts of exiles, who have experienced similar complications of their displacement and identity. Different assessments of the existential situation (the novel emphases the hopelessness and abnormality of the genocide, whereas the memoirs of the exiles focus on the effort to make the situation as normal as possible), which I treat as identifiers of the meaningfulness of the experiences, do not obscure the similarities in the narratives, that is, the subjects’ complicated relationship to and the symbolic meaning-making of the place, and the search for alternative topoi, which are evident throughout the stories. The metaphor of the abyss, used in Sebald’s novel to manifest the irretrievability of the past, can be recognized in the descriptions of the social abyss that appear in the memories of the exiles.

Pragmatic, feasibility randomized controlled trial of a recorded mental health recovery narrative intervention: narrative experiences online intervention for informal carers (NEON-C).

Informal carers of people with mental health problems often have unmet support needs. Mental health recovery narratives are increasingly accessible, but their relevance to and effect on informal carers have been minimally investigated. The Narrative Experiences Online (NEON) Intervention is a first-in-field intervention that provides informal carers with access to a diverse collection of recorded mental health recovery narratives. This trial aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the NEON Intervention for informal carers. This study involved a two-arm feasibility randomized controlled trial. Carers were randomly assigned to receiving versus not receiving the NEON Intervention. The feasibility aspects investigated included the acceptability of the intervention and of randomization, trial processes, engagement rates, recruitment procedures, attrition, sample size estimation, identification of candidate primary and secondary outcomes, and the feasibility of conducting a definitive trial. A qualitative process evaluation was conducted. A total of 121 carers were eligible, of whom 54 were randomized (intervention: 27, control: 27). Twelve-month follow-up data were available for 36 carers. Carers accessed a mean of 25 narratives over a 12-month period, and the intervention group, compared with the control group, reported a small effect on hope and a moderate effect on the presence of meaning in life. Five modifications were recommended to improve the user experience, applicability, and trial processes. The NEON Intervention is feasible and acceptable. Significant refinement of the NEON Intervention and trial processes is required to personalize and ensure applicability to carers. Further feasibility testing is recommended prior to a definitive trial.

“It was about making a new kind of slave”: corporeal sufferings of Afro-American woman in Megan Giddings’ Lakewood

Abstract The present article investigates the incapacitating bodily experiences of an unconsented African American research subject Lena Johnson in a Lakewood healthcare project by closely reading Megan Giddings’ novel Lakewood (2020). By Portraying the impact of various medical experiments that incarnate pernicious effects on Lena’s body, the deft fiction reminds the readers how the healthcare institutions in the US have been replete with the stereotypical racial beliefs. Afro-American literature while addressing the irrefutable presence of racial culture in the American society, has further emerged to portray the complex narrative experiences of black women in healthcare institutions. In this context, by drawing the theoretical postulates of Elizabeth Grosz and other theoreticians of varying importance, the article seeks to incorporate facets of corporeal feminism (ethical, ontological, and metaphorical dimensions) as its conceptual framework to examine the bodily intricacies and experiential agonies of Afro-American women in healthcare institutions.

When the wounds heal but the soul bleeds-A lived experience narrative.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: This paper acknowledges the profound and lasting impact of childhood abuse on substance use and homelessness. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: It underscores the inherent value and humanity of every individual, regardless of their struggles. That a comprehensive approach to mental health care, encompassing medication, therapy and a secure environment, is imperative. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH NURSING?: Early intervention and recognising individuals who suffer in silence are paramount. Mental health nurses must have the courage to ask uncomfortable questions and truly hear the unspoken words. Mental health nurses should never underestimate the power of simply being present with someone during their darkest moments. This simple act can wield significant influence.

Senior Lecturers’ Narrative Experience in Traversing the Transformations of Curriculum: 1994 Curriculum to Merdeka Curriculum

Curriculum transformations bring its own challenges for educators, especially at the university level, because universities become the main axis in curriculum testing and practice. The theoretical framework used in this research is the concepts of Curriculum, Narrative Inquiry, and also Teaching Experience. The approach in this research is narrative, the data in this research are fragmented statements taken from interviews. The interviewees are the data sources and they are 2 senior lecturers at a university in Surabaya. The 2 lecturers have been teaching for more than 25 years so they are valid to be used as sources because they have gone through various curriculum transformations since 1994 to 2024. The data collection technique in this research is interview and the type of the interview is nonstructured interview which serves to explore the experience of the interviewees. The type of analysis technique in this research is thematic analysis which serves to divide the results of the analysis into themes of findings. From the results of the research, it can be found that the challenges of the lecturers are 3 things: understanding, adjustment, and implementation. The senior lecturers see this change as a challenge that encourages them to learn and develop.

“You Shall Make Lake Victoria, and Become a Goddess of Love”: A Case Report about Traditional Female Ejaculation Techniques in Kenya

Kunyaza is a traditional sexual technique reported in some regions of Central Africa that aims to trigger peri-orgasmic fluid production. A personal narrative experience of a 29-year-old unmarried woman from Kenya suggested that this particular technique may have also been practiced in Kenya for a long time. Indeed, an oral tradition about “how to make Lake Victoria”, a peculiar local expression used to indicate peri-orgasmic fluid production, is reported here. This tradition is transmitted from grandmothers to granddaughters and concerns not only fluid emission but also teachings on personal hygiene, sexual interactions with a partner, and, interestingly, the importance of the woman’s sexual pleasure. In this narrative case report, we compared anecdotes and personal experiences with literature evidence about herbal medicine and traditional practices, suggesting the presence of a particularly woman-centered sexual culture in some more sex-positive ethnic groups in Kenya.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of online recorded recovery narratives in improving quality of life for people with non-psychotic mental health problems: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Narratives describing first-hand experiences of recovery from mental health problems are widely available. Emerging evidence suggests that engaging with mental health recovery narratives can benefit people experiencing mental health problems, but no randomized controlled trial has been conducted as yet. We developed the Narrative Experiences Online (NEON) Intervention, a web application providing self-guided and recommender systems access to a collection of recorded mental health recovery narratives (n=659). We investigated whether NEON Intervention access benefited adults experiencing non-psychotic mental health problems by conducting a pragmatic parallel-group randomized trial, with usual care as control condition. The primary endpoint was quality of life at week 52 assessed by the Manchester Short Assessment (MANSA). Secondary outcomes were psychological distress, hope, self-efficacy, and meaning in life at week 52. Between March 9, 2020 and March 26, 2021, we recruited 1,023 participants from across England (the target based on power analysis was 994), of whom 827 (80.8%) identified as White British, 811 (79.3%) were female, 586 (57.3%) were employed, and 272 (26.6%) were unemployed. Their mean age was 38.4±13.6 years. Mood and/or anxiety disorders (N=626, 61.2%) and stress-related disorders (N=152, 14.9%) were the most common mental health problems. At week 52, our intention-to-treat analysis found a significant baseline-adjusted difference of 0.13 (95% CI: 0.01-0.26, p=0.041) in the MANSA score between the intervention and control groups, corresponding to a mean change of 1.56 scale points per participant, which indicates that the intervention increased quality of life. We also detected a significant baseline-adjusted difference of 0.22 (95% CI: 0.05-0.40, p=0.014) between the groups in the score on the "presence of meaning" subscale of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, corresponding to a mean change of 1.1 scale points per participant. We found an incremental gain of 0.0142 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (95% credible interval: 0.0059 to 0.0226) and a £178 incremental increase in cost (95% credible interval: -£154 to £455) per participant, generating an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £12,526 per QALY compared with usual care. This was lower than the £20,000 per QALY threshold used by the National Health Service in England, indicating that the intervention would be a cost-effective use of health service resources. In the subgroup analysis including participants who had used specialist mental health services at baseline, the intervention both reduced cost (-£98, 95% credible interval: -£606 to £309) and improved QALYs (0.0165, 95% credible interval: 0.0057 to 0.0273) per participant as compared to usual care. We conclude that the NEON Intervention is an effective and cost-effective new intervention for people experiencing non-psychotic mental health problems.

Mobilization of shared victimhood in the radical right populist Finns Party supporters’ identity work: A narrative–discursive approach to populist support

AbstractIn the 21st century, populist leaders have created and shaped narratives of threatened nations to foster a sense of shared victimhood and increase electoral appeal. However, an intriguing question has emerged: What roles do these outlined populist discourses of a threatened nation and shared victimhood play in the identity work of populist supporters? This study employs a narrative–discursive approach to analyse 25 in‐depth interviews with radical right populist Finns Party supporters. We investigate how the supporters construct and utilize populist discourses and narratives of lived experiences to legitimize their political support for the Finns Party. Furthermore, we illustrate how the related subject positions enable populist supporters to reproduce and enhance the populist discourse of ‘people's’ victimhood through the actions of ‘others’. This study contributes to the field by demonstrating how populist discourses and narratives of lived experiences can be mobilized into political support for the Finns Party.

Muted narratives of traumatic experiences of the Lithuanian Jewish women in the anti-Nazi Partisan Resistance

This article is based on the international research project ‘Identity on the Line’, conducted by the Faculty of Communication of Vilnius University together with partners from Nor­way, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia memory institutions, from 2019 to 2023. The research undertaken by the Faculty of Communication deals with the traumatic experiences, wounded past and muted memories of women who survived the Holocaust and how these influenced the lives of their children and grandchildren, even when being kept silent. The article represents only part of the project and analysis of the traumatic experiences of the Jewish women who were fighting in the anti-Nazi partisan resistance by joining the combat units in the forests, as well as consequences and intergenerational transmission of a traumatic past. The purpose of this article is to show the muted stories of traumatic experiences, and how psychological scars of the war and the Holocaust are reflected in the daily life of women and their family members. What happens when the surrounding environment becomes dangerous and life-threatening? How does that challenge a person’s identity and narra­tives? How do these traumatic experiences affect the lives of the second and third genera­tions in the family? This article tries to answer these complicated questions by interview­ing Jewish women partisans, referring to their diaries, memoirs and testimonies as well as by interviewing the daughters of the survivors.

Identity as pedagogy: appreciative inquiry into the stories of our pedagogies

ABSTRACT Teacher identity is a dynamic nexus of experiences and narratives on which teachers draw to understand and situate themselves in teaching. Additionally, teacher identity becomes pedagogy as we teach who we are. This narrative inquiry used an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) framework to explore stories of teaching that have interwoven into the teacher identities of a group of teachers, who encompassed various roles within a single educational jurisdiction. In this study, the term teachers broadly included individuals who are part of an educational system including classroom teachers, principals, and system leaders. Each participant teacher drew upon their lived experiences of narratives from within a common educational system that shaped their identity and pedagogy. Through five AI phases, participants named and confronted common system narratives they had encountered in teaching. Furthermore, they reframed these narratives in ways that might potentially bring about system change. The findings from this study can support teachers, teacher educators and system leaders to examine biases and beliefs embedded in pedagogy and, through critical reflection, consider ways system change might emerge.