Narrative Interpretation Research Articles

Sweat Speaks: Stories of Embodiment, Emotion, and Erasure on a Heating Planet

Sweat permeates our human lives, yet it is a bodily reality whose functions and meanings we are often conditioned to avoid, minimise, or hide. In taking sweat as its lens of analysis, this work reasserts the significance of a transboundary agent whose narrative interpretations are frequently sanitised and simplified. Here, sweat itself is recognised as a vital storyteller, emerging through tangible bodily choreographies of effort and exertion, emotion, social and cultural identity, and a warming planet. This contribution is situated at the broad intersection of sensory studies and feminist environmental humanities, and works to demonstrate sweat’s political and theoretical utility in connecting everyday embodied experiences with the systemic drivers of social and ecological injustices.

Opportunities and challenges to human flourishing – biographical learning experiences of ITE graduates in Singapore

ABSTRACT In the performative meritocracy of Singapore where academic achievement is seen as the key to success in the society, vocational education is seen as inferior in the education system. This paper examines the educational experiences of vocational youths who went through the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), an institution that is often not seen as a school of choice. We investigate the life and educational experiences of ITE graduates examining interview data collected through the Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM), which elicit lived experiences in narrative form. Through studying the graduates’ biographical learning narratives, we explore the opportunities and challenges to human flourishing. This study has implications for enhancing the ecology of learning as well as VET standing in Singapore and beyond.

Behind Many Visages: The Waluku Cultivating Civilization Tour as Part of the Visitor Flow Management Program in the Borobudur District

The Borobudur Temple is a vulnerable cultural heritage site confronting the challenge of overcrowding impacting site preservation, visitor experience, and economic viability. This study analyzed the extension of visitor flow management applications to the buffer zone in heritage locations, focusing on the enhancement of the trip experience. The Waluku: Cultivating Civilization sub-theme, integral to the Borobudur Trail of Civilization concept, has the ability to enhance preservation via the Visitor Flow Management Process, which encompasses three phases: restricted, redistributive, and interpretative. This research employed qualitative methods by gathering data through interviews, literature reviews, and observations. The research findings revealed that the three stages operate independently and do not significantly affect the preservation of the Borobudur Temple's physical and cultural assets. Restrictions could undermine the objective of enhancing engagement and interaction with culture and nature, rendering them less effective. Meanwhile, the other two stages had minimal impact due to infrequent reservations. Itineraries may vary based on demand, and there is no interpretative narrative concerning the relationship between relief and tourism activities. Conflicts of interest and insufficient local community engagement provide barriers to the program's development.

Autoethnographical Research on the Experience of Identity Change as an Artist, Teacher and Teaching Artist

AbstractAn autoethnographic exploration of identity formation raises the question of how individuals inhabit, negotiate, accommodate and resist the social groups to which they belong, continually coming to terms with who and what they are. This paper discusses, through this researcher's autobiographical exploration, the ways in which pedagogical discourse and practice produce identities that are constructed within the broader sociocultural context of arts education. As an art educator who has been learning and teaching in the Korean sociocultural context since the 1970s, I have experienced the struggle between my identity as an artist and my identity as a teacher amidst the changes in educational ideology reflected in the Korean national curriculum, which is a set of pedagogical discourses and practices that are constructed within a particular sociocultural context. It can be said that my autobiographical narration has important implications for the practice of art education in connecting individuals and society in an ambiguous and complex future society by enhancing theoretical understanding of wider social phenomena. In this paper, the narrative interpretation of my changing identity as an artist, an art teacher and a teaching artist provides a timely insight into identity shifts in how the artwork we encounter and our perceptions of art are shaped and transformed by our own cultural experiences and recollections of our own personal experiences within the interconnectedness of art and education across time.

Multifunctionality, social benefits, and engagement: insights for forest restoration success from a study case in Brazil

Social, economic, and ecological aspects must be considered for ecological restoration projects to be successful. Multifunctionality, achieved when restored ecosystems have multiple uses, is the desired goal for these projects. Understanding people's perceptions of forest restoration is essential to advance the debate on stakeholder acceptance and engagement. Based on a 30‐year case study of forest restoration on a university campus in Brazil, we assessed (1) how project objectives relate to contemporary multifunctionality and social attributes; (2) how the current state of the forest meets social goals; and (3) how stakeholders perceive the importance of the forest and the project itself. We used documents, interviews, and questionnaires, applying content analysis and narrative interpretation with the “social benefits wheel” and the “five‐star social system” to assess how the initial project objectives corresponded to contemporary social development goals and its progress toward social goals. The results revealed that socioecological goals were incorporated from the beginning of the project, ensuring a multifunctional approach. Respondents highlighted ecological, social, and cultural functions, with 84% expressing positive feelings toward the forest. Ecosystem services, especially regulatory and cultural benefits, were recognized as the most valuable. Although academic use was significant, nonmaterial values, such as cultural and emotional connections, were more prominent. The study concludes that a well‐planned restoration project involving the local community generates lasting support for ecological restoration. This information strongly supports Brazil's voluntary reforestation targets proposed in the Paris Agreement.

Evolusi Kepemimpinan Digital: Transformasi Modal Manusia dalam Era Artificial Intelligence

The technological revolution accelerated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fundamentally changed the paradigm of leadership and human resource management. Digital leadership is now an essential competency for organizations that want to survive and thrive in the face of the challenges of the technological disruption era. This research aims to understand the role of digital leadership in the human capital transformation process, especially in the context of AI adoption by modern organizations.The post-qualitative approach allows research to capture the evolving and diverse dynamics in a digitized organizational environment. It is more open to different forms of data, both structured and unstructured, and recognizes the complexity and ambiguity in digital leadership practices. This research utilizes open-ended interviews and participatory observation, facilitated by interpretive narrative to understand the process of human capital transformation. The main results of the study show that digital leadership plays a key role in facilitating human capital transformation, with an emphasis on adaptive skills development, data-driven decision-making and closer collaboration between people and technology. This transformation is not only technical in nature but also involves changes in organizational culture and structure. This research makes an important contribution by offering a new perspective in leadership studies through a post-qualitative approach.

Stakeholders’ Opinion on Geotourism Characteristics of Hummanaya Destination, Sri Lanka

Geotourism is a niche market that contributes to sustaining and even enhancing the geographical characteristics of a territory, including the abiotic, biotic, and cultural (ABC) attributes of destinations. It uplifts the living standards of local communities and provides opportunities for visitors to understand and appreciate the natural environment and the existing culture of the geosites. The aim of this research was to evaluate the geotourism characteristics of the Hummanaya tourism destination based on stakeholders’ opinions and to investigate the extent to which stakeholders are committed to adhering to geotourism principles. Primary and secondary data sources were utilized to collect the necessary data for this study. For gathering primary data, key informant interviews and participatory observations were conducted in the field using a semi-structured questionnaire, with purposive sampling employed. Unpublished documents served as secondary data. Descriptive statistical analysis and narrative interpretation methods were used to analyze the collected data. The study was able to identify the extent to which geotourism stakeholders adhere to geotourism principles. Specifically, regarding the principles of integrity, community involvement, community benefits, and tourist satisfaction, the informants provided positive responses. The findings reveal that the destination is perceived by tourists as a fascinating and unique tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. Most tourists reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the tourist attractions, facilities, and services provided by local facilitators, indicating that the destination meets tourists’ expectations. However, a significant issue is whether other stakeholders are satisfied with geotourism's contributions to protecting the destination's ABC attributes and improving the socio-economic status of local communities. Negative responses were noted concerning principles such as evolution, market selectivity, interactive interpretation, and market diversity. Therefore, necessary measures must be taken to conserve and develop the destination as a geosite and geotourism site.

Enhancing ICU care with nurse-written diaries.

Patient diaries are a supportive intervention aiding intensive care unit (ICU) survivors and their families post-critical illness. Despite their growing acceptance, ICU diary usage varies across settings. This study explored themes in nurse-written ICU diaries and their impact on nursing work and communication. This qualitative study employed an interpretative narrative methodology to explore the experiences of ICU nurses. The narrative approach enabled the synthesis of diverse events and impressions into coherent stories, facilitating a deeper understanding of participants' perspectives. Data collection involved thematic analysis of diaries following Braun and Clarke's methodology. The analysis included familiarization, coding, theme identification and validation by the research team. The findings were reviewed by participants and translated into English using the WHO's cultural adaptation guidelines, ensuring reliability and credibility in the study's outcomes. The sample consisted of 28 ICU nurses, each with professional experience ranging from 1 to 23 years. The hospitalized subjects for whom our sample wrote the diary consist of 13 participants aged 23-79 years. Two main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) simplifying the intensive care situation with specific minimization strategies and (2) attention to nonverbal communication. This study highlights the role of nurse-written ICU diaries in making the ICU environment more understandable and less intimidating for patients. Nurse-written ICU diaries contribute to improved communication and emotional support within the ICU environment. Further research is needed to explore these effects more fully and to assess the broader implications of ICU diaries on patient outcomes. Nurse-written intensive care unit (ICU) diaries have a significant impact on both patient care and nursing practice in ICUs. ICU diaries serve as a crucial tool for enhancing communication, emotional support and empathetic care within these high-stress environments. By simplifying complex medical information and focusing on nonverbal communication, nurses can make the ICU experience more comprehensible and less intimidating for patients. This approach reduces patient anxiety and psychological stress while fostering a stronger nurse-patient relationship, ultimately improving care quality.

Alcohol Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review of Evolving Perspectives and Long-Term Implications.

Cardiovascular illnesses remain the primary cause of death, accounting for at least 17.9 million fatalities per year and posing a significant public health problem because of its extensive predominance and effect on healthcare systems. The etiology of cardiovascular disease is complex and involves several environmental and lifestyle factors. Alcohol use is a highly important determinant because of its dual-edged effect on cardiovascular health. Multiple studies indicate that moderate alcohol consumption may have certain advantages, such as slight enhancements in lipid profiles. Conversely, excessive alcohol intake is associated with serious negative consequences, including cardiomyopathy, hypertension, arrhythmias, and even mortality. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the several effects of alcohol on cardiovascular health and their understanding within the medical field over time. It uses an interpretative narrative review methodology and analyzes studies that focus on genetic risk factors, gender differences, and shifts in paradigms in recent years. This article highlights the need for obtaining a thorough understanding of the effects of alcohol on cardiovascular health to support public health guidelines and clinical practice, and it underscores the significance of including alcohol consumption into the broader context of cardiovascular risk management and identifies important subjects for further study.

Maqashid Syariah: Perbandingan Antara Pemikiran Al - Ghazali dan Najmuddin At - Thufi

This article aims to compare the two concepts of Maqashid al-Syari'ah from al-Ghazali and at-Thufi with a focus on finding similarities and differences between their views. Maqashid al-Syari'ah refers to the principles or goals that are the basis of Islamic law, which aim to maintain human welfare and justice in society. Social changes arising from developments over time and the dynamics of society encourage scholars to deepen their studies of Maqashid al-Syari'ah seriously to find legal innovations that are needed to deal with existing social changes. The research method applied is qualitative in nature by utilizing library research, which involves the collection, analysis and thorough narrative interpretation of visual data to understand thoroughly and comprehensively the concept of maqashid al-Syari'ah from the perspective of al-Ghazali and at -Thufi. The results and discussion of this article confirm that the main aim of all Islamic religious teachings, including the Qur'an and hadith, is benefit. Al-Ghazali groups benefits into three parts, namely maslahah dharuriyah (urgent interests), hajiyah (necessary interests), and tahsiniyah (interests that improve the quality of life). On the other hand, At-Thufi does not divide benefits into these categories; for him, benefit is benefit, without needing to be shared. However, both agree that the essence of this benefit concept is to protect human welfare itself.

Breaking new ground: Using and evaluating collaborative autoethnography to enhance teacher adaptability in higher education

The combined impacts of dramatic social, industrial, environmental, and technological changes on higher education demand continuous adaptation and reinvention of teaching approaches. We evaluate collaborative autoethnography as a methodology that permits educators to share and interrogate their practices, activating critical reflection, experimentation, and just-in-time teaching innovation, while also cultivating a community of learning. As four education-focused academics teaching into a senior undergraduate experiential learning program, we experimented with collaborative autoethnography to cooperatively assess and develop our teaching practice during the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our experiences suggest collaborative autoethnography's strong potential to amplify teachers’ critical reflection and formally support professional development, including through the formation of productive collegial networks. However, we also encountered methodological challenges. These include ethical dilemmas with collaborative autoethnography research conducted in emergency contexts, as well as concerns over the integrity of the reflection process, both in terms of reaching consensus in the interpretation of different narratives and the sufficiency of voices included and excluded in authorship. Ultimately, the strengths and challenges of collaborative autoethnography represent a critical opportunity for teachers in higher education to contribute to further developing this tool not only as a research methodology, but also as a professional development process.

Attention, memory, and narrative interpretation of Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet: Comparing 2D and 3D film viewing using eye-tracking and self-report

Attention, memory, and narrative interpretation of Michel Gondry’s <i>The Green Hornet</i>: Comparing 2D and 3D film viewing using eye-tracking and self-report

Meaning without Agency: The Establishment of Meaningful Time Relations as Prerequisite for the Emergence of Biosemiosis

AbstractThis article reexamines meaning, agency, and interpretation by challenging the view that they require primary or secondary agency. Using Paul Ricœur’s narrative temporality, it explores Terrence Deacon’s autogenic theory, reinterpreting it as a narrative process with non-agentic meaning by distinguishing between distended and displaced temporal relations. Distended relations pertain to agency and biosemiosis, while displaced relations involve the meaning found not in the entity but the processes which gave it a functionally historicized existence. Applying Ricœur’s analysis of temporal aporia and Deacon’s concept of zero, the article suggests that meaning in Deacon’s model mirrors the normative process of narrative interpretation. It emphasizes that primary agency requires meaningful organization for agentic action to have a self for which decisions matter, concluding that meaning, life, and primary agency are grounded in already existing displaced temporal relations resultant from proto-interpretative relations not bounded within an organism.

Geo-Phenomenology: A Qualitative and Humanistic GIS Approach to Exploring Lived Experience

Critical discussions are developing to combine geographic information systems (GIS) and qualitative methods as an alternative approach to traditional quantitative GIS, but the possibility of integrating spatial information technology and phenomenology is still unknown. This study explores a new qualitative and humanistic GIS approach called geo-phenomenology. It attempts to improve the ability to validate and authenticate findings and to gain a holistic understanding of the complex interplay among space, place, and human emotion through a combination of phenomenology, natural language processing methods, and GIS. To illustrate this approach, this study focuses on international students and examines the effects of geographic mobility on individuals’ sense of attachment and belonging. Importantly, it allows for a more sensitive approach to the spatial scale of material culture as a mediator of sense of place. The overlay of emotional mapping and land use provided a perspective for narrative interpretation and hypothesis building, ultimately leading to the discovery of key evidence determining the main themes of international students’ sense of place attachment and belonging. By combining quantitative emotion detection with qualitative phenomenological interpretation in GIS, this study concludes that geo-phenomenology can help us consider the rich nuances of lifeworlds from multiple perspectives.

“Heroes”, “victims”, and “villains”: policy narratives on inclusion in Norwegian and Italian educational documents

ABSTRACT This paper will investigate how specific narratives on the inclusion of minority language students (MLSs) are constructed in Norwegian and Italian educational policy documents. We will employ the Narrative Policy Framework’s (NPF) analytical categories with an interpretative narrative approach to reconstruct the two national policy narratives and compare their salient features. In response to international trends of inclusive education, Norway and Italy have developed two different educational policy models for the inclusion of MLSs. Norway operationalised inclusion through ‘adapted education’ for all students, while Italian policy defined an ‘Italian path towards the intercultural school’. The results will show that the Norwegian approach to inclusive education is sustained by what we define as a technocratic (efficiency-oriented) narrative, while the Italian intercultural education employs a normative (ideologically-based) narrative. Despite the differences, the two policy narratives share an unresolved tension between a universalistic and particularistic stance. In the policy documents, the inclusive/intercultural education for all students is ambiguously complemented by integration measures designed explicitly for MLSs. The study will illustrate the travelling nature of inclusive and intercultural education in the policy domain and show that the policy shift towards inclusion needs to be understood as an ongoing and non-linear process.

Leveraging Narrative Feedback in Programmatic Assessment: The Potential of Automated Text Analysis to Support Coaching and Decision-Making in Programmatic Assessment.

Current assessment approaches increasingly use narratives to support learning, coaching and high-stakes decision-making. Interpretation of narratives, however, can be challenging and time-consuming, potentially resulting in suboptimal or inadequate use of assessment data. Support for learners, coaches as well as decision-makers in the use and interpretation of these narratives therefore seems essential. We explored the utility of automated text analysis techniques to support interpretation of narrative assessment data, collected across 926 clinical assessments of 80 trainees, in an International Medical Graduates' licensing program in Australia. We employed topic modelling and sentiment analysis techniques to automatically identify predominant feedback themes as well as the sentiment polarity of feedback messages. We furthermore sought to examine the associations between feedback polarity, numerical performance scores, and overall judgments about task performance. Topic modelling yielded three distinctive feedback themes: Medical Skills, Knowledge, and Communication & Professionalism. The volume of feedback varied across topics and clinical settings, but assessors used more words when providing feedback to trainees who did not meet competence standards. Although sentiment polarity and performance scores did not seem to correlate at the level of single assessments, findings showed a strong positive correlation between the average performance scores and the average algorithmically assigned sentiment polarity. This study shows that use of automated text analysis techniques can pave the way for a more efficient, structured, and meaningful learning, coaching, and assessment experience for learners, coaches and decision-makers alike. When used appropriately, these techniques may facilitate more meaningful and in-depth conversations about assessment data, by supporting stakeholders in interpretation of large amounts of feedback. Future research is vital to fully unlock the potential of automated text analysis, to support meaningful integration into educational practices.

Analysis of Teacher Competence Using the Madrasah Digital Report Applicationin Managing Student Learning Outcome

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the competence of teachers in utilizing the Madrasah Digital Report Card application for managing students' learning outcomes at the Private Tsanawiyah Madrasah Hubbul Wathan Modal Bangsa, Langkat County, located on Jl. Pasar 7 Bandar Meriah, North Namu Ukur Village, Sei Bingai District, Langkat County. This qualitative research aims to understand phenomena such as behavior, perception, motivation, and expectations of subjects, aligning with the study's focus on the implementation of the Madrasah Digital Report Card application at the Tsanawiyah Madrasah Hubbul Wathan Modal Bangsa. A descriptive narrative approach was employed, analyzing collected data and providing narrative interpretation to understand experiences. The results indicate that the utilization of the Madrasah Digital Report Card application at the Private MTs Hubbul Wathan Modal Bangsa is optimized by the teachers, who exhibit strong skills in operating the application. Consequently, the implementation has led to significant progress in technology use and enhanced the professional capabilities of teachers in managing students' learning outcomes.

Praktik Tindak Pidana Gratifikasi Perspektif Sosiologi Korupsi

This article aims to identify the phenomenon of the practice of criminal acts of gratification in administrative services using a fraud theory perspective, as well as to analyze the factors that support the development of legal culture around this practice in society. Corruption in Indonesia is a serious problem that is widespread in society. From a sociological point of view, corruption is seen as a widespread social phenomenon because of its significant impact on various aspects of life. One common example of a criminal act of corruption is the practice of gratification, where individuals provide gifts or gifts with a specific purpose. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature review method, where the process includes comprehensive collection, analysis and interpretation of visual data narratives. The aim is to obtain a deep, comprehensive and thorough understanding of the culture of gratification practices in society from the perspective of sociological studies of corruption. The analysis of this article shows that the practice of giving gifts occurs because the person who does it feels pressure, opportunity, and reason to do so in an administrative service situation. In addition, there is also a phenomenon in society where giving gifts is considered a normal and accepted way to express gratitude to those who provide assistance.

The Truth and the Pain: A Reading of Edouard Kayihura’s &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Inside the Hotel Rwanda&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; and Marie Béatrice Umutesi’s &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Surviving the Slaughter&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Literary realism focuses on everyday people, issues, characters, settings and situations that are real. Some writers engage realism to document their real-life experiences. The readers as well tend to gain access to real life events as vivid as the writers can recollect them. Fictitious approaches are avoided completely in these narrations. This is done to ensure that the readers can identify with the stories being narrated. Hence, the 1994 genocide has been the major focus of contemporary Rwanda prose narratives. They project the experiences of the people before, during and after the genocide. Also, some authors document their experiences as suggested by their therapists, because it usually helps as one of the coping mechanisms for trauma. This study delves into the analysis of two post-genocide prose narratives. It adopts the use of postcolonial and trauma theories as the tools for conceptualizing, understanding and interpretation of these prose narratives. Marie Béatrice Umutesi’s &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Surviving the Slaughter: The ordeal of a Rwandan Refugee in Zaire &amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;and Edouard Kayihura’s&amp;lt;i&amp;gt; Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story and Why It Matters Today &amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;are autobiographies, they depict the causes of the genocide, the outcomes, specifically on the victims and hopefully the solutions. Edouard Kayihura suffers harrowing experiences of perpetual fear, oppression and extortion inside the Hotel des Mille Collines, this is his own truth, debunking the inaccuracies of the movie Hotel Rwanda. While, Marie Béatrice Umutesi, a Hutu woman witnesses and experiences inexplicable brutality and hardship. She endures the pains as she journeys towards safety. This study interrogates the contributions of political hegemony and identity crises to varying degrees of trauma and explains that the experiences and pains of these writers are factual. It also establishes that these prose narratives serve dual purposes of correcting a false claim and projecting the pain of a Hutu woman, a unique diversion from the popular focus on the Tutsis.

“The Twa Corbies”: рецепция народной шотландской баллады в русской и осетинской литературе (А. С. Пушкин, Г. М. Цаголов)

The aim of the work is to confirm the idea of the progressiveness of intercultural interactions in the system of full-fledged development of artistic thinking using the example of the transformation of the ideosphere of the Scottish folk ballad “The Twa Corbies” (“Two Ravens”) in Russian (A. S. Pushkin) and Ossetian (G. M. Tsagolov) literature. The article focuses on the similarities and differences in the interpretations of the original narrative by Pushkin and Tsagolov and the introduction by them of an additional semantic field into the traditional figurative structure of the original text. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the joint study of the Scottish ballad, the poems of A. S. Pushkin and G. M. Tsagolov, focusing on the identical value series and the convergence of folklore traditions in literary, author’s work. For the first time in the history of Ossetian scientific thought, Tsagolov’s work is highlighted in the context of interliterary connections and influences and becomes the subject of a comprehensive literary analysis. The presented texts reveal the need to preserve the main structural and figurative elements of the ballad and, in parallel, introduce additional nuances, both semantic and figurative, to enrich the ideosphere of the analyzed works. As a result of the research, the statement is presented that interest in folklore traditions in artistic creativity is one of the basic attitudes for the continuous development of both world literature and national literature; that eternal, archetypical themes raised in the presented poems (“treason/fidelity”) acquire additional connotative layers, are enriched with new symbols and acquire semantic depth, modernizing in the context of constantly changing cultural norms and traditions.