Narrative Analysis Research Articles

The Traces of Cancer: A Metaphorical Understanding of the Experiences of Women Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

This study feeds into ongoing discussions on the metaphors used by cancer patients. Its aim is to explore how women living with a history of breast cancer use metaphors to express and interpret the experience of cancer remission. Data were collected in interviews designed to capture a rich and metaphorical description of participants' experiences with breast cancer and what these experiences mean to them. Ten participants were recruited. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the participants' narratives highlighted a central metaphor: the cancer trace in one's life. The participants had to adapt to four specific traces of cancer: (1) the identity trace, (2) the existential trace, (3) the bodily trace, and (4) the narrative trace. We discuss how cancer challenges one's sense of biographical continuity and initiates a search for a new way of being. We also discuss how the metaphor of the trace differs from the metaphor of the cancer hero living without any trace of cancer.

The "Magical Theory" of AI in Medicine: Thematic Narrative Analysis.

The discourse surrounding medical artificial intelligence (AI) often focuses on narratives that either hype the technology's potential or predict dystopian futures. AI narratives have a significant influence on the direction of research, funding, and public opinion and thus shape the future of medicine. The paper aims to offer critical reflections on AI narratives, with a specific focus on medical AI, and to raise awareness as to how people working with medical AI talk about AI and discharge their "narrative responsibility." Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 41 participants from different disciplines who were exposed to medical AI in their profession. The research represents a secondary analysis of data using a thematic narrative approach. The analysis resulted in 2 main themes, each with 2 other subthemes. Stories about the AI-physician interaction depicted either a competitive or collaborative relationship. Some participants argued that AI might replace physicians, as it performs better than physicians. However, others believed that physicians should not be replaced and that AI should rather assist and support physicians. The idea of excessive technological deferral and automation bias was discussed, highlighting the risk of "losing" decisional power. The possibility that AI could relieve physicians from burnout and allow them to spend more time with patients was also considered. Finally, a few participants reported an extremely optimistic account of medical AI, while the majority criticized this type of story. The latter lamented the existence of a "magical theory" of medical AI, identified with techno-solutionist positions. Most of the participants reported a nuanced view of technology, recognizing both its benefits and challenges and avoiding polarized narratives. However, some participants did contribute to the hype surrounding medical AI, comparing it to human capabilities and depicting it as superior. Overall, the majority agreed that medical AI should assist rather than replace clinicians. The study concludes that a balanced narrative (that focuses on the technology's present capabilities and limitations) is necessary to fully realize the potential of medical AI while avoiding unrealistic expectations and hype.

Stoking the fires of professional resistance: Trainees' efforts across time.

Researchers who study acts of resistance largely focus on efforts when they are at their peak, giving the impression that those who resist are in a constant state of arousal. What is missing in such studies is the variable of time, which is theorised to be intimately connected to power and resistance. To explore this aspect, we followed a group of trainees engaged in professional resistance against social injustice over the period of 1 year to understand how their efforts shifted across time. This longitudinal approach was meant to capture the temporality of resistance, specifically how time affects resistance efforts. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach for data collection and analysis, we conducted follow-up interviews with 13 trainees approximately 10 months apart. Interviews were analysed using holistic narrative analysis, in which we analysed contexts, subjectivities and interactions across the two time points. We then conducted a cross-case analysis and restoried the data to develop an understanding of how resistance shifts across time. Finally, we contextualised the data using the metaphor of open and zombie wildfires. The findings demonstrate that when trainees transition to new institutions or professional positions, their access to power and interactions with colleagues shift, thus making it challenging for them to resist in ways they had done so earlier. In transitions where trainees were given power, the flames of resistance continued to blaze visibly. In other cases, without an appreciable change in power, resistance resembled more of a 'zombie fire', smouldering quietly underfoot. Examining trainees' acts of resistance across time demonstrates that the work of advocacy and resistance is extremely taxing for trainees. Therefore, when they experience shifts in their context or subjectivity, they conserve energy and strategise their next move. This study provides new insight on the relationship between time and resistance.

Exploring moral gaze: Children gazing at suffering in dark tourism

Dark tourism experiences are often imbued with moral matters. This study adopts the participant-generated photo-elicitation method to explore the tourist gaze at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Thematic analysis of children's photographic narratives reveals that they gaze upon the suffering of others. When interpreting these experiences of suffering, children form moral judgments about what and who caused the suffering. The findings reveal four distinct types of moral gaze: historical moral gaze, interpretive moral gaze, empathic moral gaze, and judgmental moral gaze. The use of participant-generated photo-elicitation method enables children to produce, select, and interpret their own photographs, thereby giving voice to their experiences. This method offers a more nuanced understanding of the children's moral gaze, which has important theoretical and methodological implications for conceptualisation of tourist gaze in dark tourism.

Health professions students' perspectives of a stigma-reducing simulation including simulated patients with lived experience of addiction and recovery

BackgroundStigma surrounding substance use disorders (SUDs) hinders treatment. This study explores perceptions of health professions students following simulation-based training involving individuals with lived experience of addiction and recovery. MethodsThematic analysis of self-reflection narratives was conducted to identify themes. ResultsThirty-three graduate students from various health disciplines participated. Four themes were identified: humanizing addiction, cultivation of hope, attitude of gratitude, and transformation and growth. Findings highlight contact-based simulations' potential to challenge stereotypes and foster empathy. ConclusionIntegrating stigma reduction interventions into health curricula is crucial. Contact-based simulation training shapes positive attitudes towards individuals with SUDs.

“What is the truth?:” On teaching paradoxes, race, family, and the self with Octavia Butler’s Kindred

This article investigates the pedagogical power of teaching and learning alongside Octavia Butler’s Kindred. I examine the stories of students enrolled in a special topics undergraduate honors seminar centered on personal discovery, race, and family using grounded theory and narrative textual analysis. Students’ narratives reveal the ways Kindred and science fiction more generally offer opportunities for substantive culturally disruptive pedagogy (San Pedro, 2018) through sustained engagement with the mechanics of time travel, contending with impossible choices, and wrestling with contradictions and paradoxes. Learning from this course demonstrates the usefulness of Black feminist speculative pedagogy for building students’ capacity for naming what is (Ohman, 2021) and by extension disrupting and confronting the historical and contemporary legacies of racism and heteropatriarchy.

Developing reflexivity and self-compassion in group psychotherapy: A dialogical and narrative approach

ABSTRACT In this paper, we apply dialogical concepts to understand the development of self-reflexivity and self-compassion during psychotherapy. Specifically, we present a study that mapped clients’ voices and explored their changes in group psychotherapy. Thematic narrative analysis was used to study 20 two-hour group therapy sessions of a systemic informed approach. The analysis involved mapping of the voices of each group member, categorizing them as compassionate and/or reflexive and a sequential depiction of the group voices through timelines. The last step of the analysis included studying the development of self-reflexive and self-compassionate voices through time. It showed an important change, not on the number of clients’ self-reflexive voices that appeared during psychotherapy, but mostly on the quality of the self-reflexive voices in favor of voices that were both self-reflexive and self-compassionate. This change seems to take place as a result of the internalization and “rehearsal” of more kind and compassionate voices that appear in the group dialogues. Hence, this study suggests that, in parallel with focusing on the presence and amount of the reflexive processes that occur in psychotherapy, psychotherapy research should also focus on the changes in the quality of these processes, and particularly the development of self-compassion in psychotherapy.

Content Analysis of Bioenergetics’ Conceptual Presentation in Senior High School Biology Textbooks

Factors that bring about a low mastery level of bioenergetics, a core concept in biology, include relatively poor teaching-learning experience and low-quality textbooks, among others. To determine which textbook and teaching components have affected the low learning mastery of the topics in bioenergetics, the researchers analyzed the textbooks’ quality of content, language, layout, and figures, and the teachers’ experience, contentment, and challenges while teaching the topic, and effects to the learners. Using a sequential explanatory mixed method research design, ten (10) textbooks, and seven (7) teacher participants were purposively selected following a set of criteria. Descriptive and principal component analyses revealed that the textbooks' quality depends on two components: (1) competent and coherent visuals and content, and (2) consistency of style in the varied forms of assessment. Narrative analysis and Quasi-Statistics analysis revealed that teachers are not contented with the textbooks as they are inadequate to teach the subject matter. The lack of good learning materials, coupled with low competence to introduce the topics, resulted in the low mastery level of the learners. The researchers propose that periodic textbook assessment, retooling of teachers’ skills, and deepening teachers’ understanding are necessary to improve learners’ performance in bioenergetics. Finally, this paper is instrumental in providing educators, resources and curriculum developers, and researchers a feasible and practical path to improve textbook quality and address pedagogical gaps.

Voices in the digital crowd: a discursive analysis of Airbnb boycott

ABSTRACT The ascent of online platforms has ushered in a democratization of information dissemination and has facilitated the formation of public opinion across various societal matters, including boycotts. By employing a qualitative analysis of narratives found within Reddit conversations related to the Airbnb boycott, this study explores the diverse dimensions of public sentiment and opinion formation within discussions about boycotting Airbnb on Reddit. The analysis has revealed a range of themes within these conversations. These themes include concerns about housing affordability, the commercialization of residential areas, negative effects on local businesses, issues related to discrimination, environmental considerations, gentrification, and criticisms of Airbnb’s business practices, service fees, safety measures, and regulatory matters. Overall, this research contributes to our theoretical understanding of digital activism in the realm of tourism, highlighting its implications for broader societal contexts. It also offers practical insights for businesses operating within the sharing economy, helping them engage with politically conscious consumers and address the ethical implications of their operations.

Constructing disposable farmworkers: Interrogating narrative and legal contours of the US racial capitalist state

In this paper, I draw on feminist narrative analysis to reconsider the exceptional character of agriculture under the law and its embodied consequences for contemporary agricultural guestworkers in Georgia, USA. Through engaged participant observation alongside farmworker advocates and archival research of legal texts, I consider the interplay between the law and everyday narratives in (re)constructing the racialized agricultural labor system. I interrogate a century of immigration laws, labor laws, and foreign labor schemes and examine how systems of selective inclusion play out on the ground. My analysis is informed by a theoretical framework that asserts that the US racial capitalist state developed in tandem with conceptions linking territory, whiteness, and the virtues of agriculture. Merging literatures on racial capitalism and the racial state, political geographies of immigration, and agricultural exceptionalism, this paper advances an understanding of the importance of interrogating the farm labor system to illuminate key mechanisms of exclusion characteristic of the US racial capitalist state. I argue that the state's construction of “disposable” farmworkers exposes the extent to which the racial capitalist state acts to discipline labor and uphold racialized hierarchies of “American” identity.

Harnessing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Managing Viral Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis continues to be a serious global health concern, impacting millions of people, putting a strain on healthcare systems across the world, and causing significant morbidity and mortality. Traditional diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic procedures to address viral hepatitis are successful but have limits in accuracy, speed, and accessibility. Artificial intelligence (AI) advancement provides substantial opportunities to overcome these challenges. This study investigates the role of AI in revolutionizing viral hepatitis care, from early detection to therapy optimization and epidemiological surveillance. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using predefined keywords in the Nature, PLOS ONE, PubMed, Frontiers, Wiley Online Library, BMC, Taylor & Francis, Springer, ScienceDirect, MDPI, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and Google Scholar databases. Peer-reviewed publications written in English between January 2019 and August 2024 were examined. The data of the selected research papers were synthesized and analyzed using thematic and narrative analysis techniques. The use of AI-driven algorithms in viral hepatitis control involves many significant aspects. AI improves diagnostic accuracy by integrating machine learning (ML) models with serological, genomic, and imaging data. It enables tailored treatment plans by assessing patient-specific characteristics and predicting therapy responses. AI-powered technologies aid in epidemiological modeling, and AI-powered systems effectively track treatment adherence, identify medication resistance, and control complications associated with chronic hepatitis infections. It is vital in identifying new antiviral medicines and vaccines, speeding the development pipeline through high-throughput screening and predictive modeling. Despite its transformational promise, using AI in viral hepatitis care presents various challenges, including data privacy concerns, the necessity for extensive and varied datasets, and the possibility of algorithmic biases. Ethical considerations, legal frameworks, and multidisciplinary collaboration are required to resolve these issues and ensure AI technology’s safe and successful use in clinical practice. Exploiting the full AI’s potential for viral hepatitis management provides unparalleled prospects to improve patient outcomes, optimize public health policies, and, eventually, and alleviate the disease’s negative impact worldwide. This study seeks to provide academics, medics, and policymakers with the fundamental knowledge they need to harness AI’s potential in the fight against viral hepatitis.

Childhood burn injury in the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: an analysis of parent narratives

Childhood burns pose a significant public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income nations, where the burden is pronounced. Mongolia stands out for its elevated rates of burn-related child mortality, especially among 1 to 5-year-olds. Despite this, there is a lack of research on the current status of childhood burns in Ulaanbaatar. This study utilized Cognitive Edge’s Sensemaker® to collect micronarratives from parents in the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar, aiming to understand the present context of childhood burn injuries. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes, including features in home and outdoor environments, lack of safety measures, and limitations in supervision. The findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to burn injury prevention tailored to the Mongolian context. Implementing suitable safety measures in ger districts based on these results could be instrumental. Additionally, extending this approach to other low- and middle-income countries warrants further investigation for effective preventive measures.

Barriers and facilitators when implementing midwifery continuity of carer: a narrative analysis of the international literature

BackgroundMidwifery continuity of carer (MCoC) is a model of care in which the same midwife or small team of midwives supports women throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. The model has been prioritised by policy makers in a number of high-income countries, but widespread implementation and sustainability has proved challenging.MethodsIn this narrative review and synthesis of the global literature on the implementation and sustainability of midwifery continuity of carer, we identify barriers to, and facilitators of, this model of delivering maternity care. By mapping existing research evidence onto the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we identify factors for organisations to consider when planning and implementing midwifery continuity of carer as well as gaps in the current research evidence.ResultsAnalysing international evidence using the CFIR shows that evidence around midwifery continuity of carer implementation is patchy and fragmented, and that the impetus for change is not critically examined. Existing literature pays insufficient attention to core aspects of the innovation such as the centrality of on call working arrangements and alignment with the professional values of midwifery. There is also limited attention to the political and structural contexts into which midwifery continuity of carer is introduced.ConclusionsBy synthesizing international research evidence with the CFIR, we identify factors for organisations to consider when planning and implementing midwifery continuity of carer. We also call for more systematic and contextual evidence to aid understanding of the implementation or non-implementation of midwifery continuity of carer. Existing evidence should be critically evaluated and used more cautiously in support of claims about the model of care and its implementation, especially when implementation is occurring in different settings and contexts to the research being cited.

Stakeholder Insights on Malaria Elimination Strategies in Pangandaran, West Java: a Qualitative Analysis

Indonesia has launched a determined effort to eliminate malaria by 2023, focusing on Java and Bali. Despite these efforts, Pangandaran in Java still faces malaria cases. This study aims to meticulously delve into the intricacies of the malaria elimination program's implementation while conducting a comprehensive evaluation of its effectiveness. Structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders responsible for the malaria program in Pangandaran to extract invaluable insights. The study, carried out in November 2022, followed qualitative research with narrative analysis to reveal nuanced narratives from the participants. Findings from this rigorous analysis revealed a harmonious alignment between the malaria control program in Pangandaran and the Indonesian Ministry of Health guidelines. The strategy to combat malaria vectors in Pangandaran included mosquito net distribution, strategic larvicide application, and educational campaigns like Malaria Awareness Society (MASAMA). The expectation is that the current effective control program will resonate within the Pangandaran community, ultimately leading to the realization of the 2023 elimination target.

Storytelling to support legacy making for bereaved parents of children with cancer.

Honoring a child's legacy is an essential aspect of meaning-making for bereaved parents, yet little is known about storytelling as a mechanism. Through narrative analysis of 19 bereaved parent interviews focused on legacy, we examined the role of storytelling in creating and sustaining legacy. Most participants (89%) told stories centered around the child's impact and parent's coping, including the child's character and interpersonal relationships during and after their lifetime as well as how the child's legacy influenced parents' grief experiences. Future research is needed to explore the potential impact of storytelling initiatives to support legacy-making for bereaved caregivers.

Implementation of DESMOS as a Teaching Tool in Graphing Functions in the New Normal

Before the implementation of online learning, students graphed functions on paper using either a ballpen or pencil. However, online learning materials including online graphing calculators were being encouraged to be used since the modality had shifted into online learning. DESMOS is one of the online learning materials that can be used in graphing functions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of DESMOS as a graphing tool for teachers and students together with the benefits of this software together with the perceptions towards it. The study was conducted with 23 Grade 11 students taking up Accountancy and Business Management during the classes of Statistics and Probability. The research design used was mixed consisting of comparative statistical techniques and narrative analysis. The interventions involving DESMOS were done virtually through Google Meet. Their skills before and after the interventions involving DESMOS were compared and based on the statistical aspect, there was a significant difference between the skills before and after the interventions with a t-statistical value of -3.78, which was lower than the critical value of -2.074. Besides, the students were able to collaborate in terms of tasks and reflect on what they had learned in DESMOS, and they were able to see DESMOS as an accessible, convenient, and effective graphing tool. DESMOS should be widely used as a teaching tool in graphing functions so students will be able to appreciate technology with mathematics since people are now living in the era of technology.

"Uncovering the unspoken": a narrative analysis of patients' experiences with testicular cancer.

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of young men with a diagnosis of testicular cancer (TC) using a narrative approach, with the intention of informing models of care and support in clinical services. TC patients were recruited to participate in one of four focus groups examining their lived experiences from diagnosis. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed and analyzed using a narrative approach. A total of 4 focus groups were held from March to May 2019, involving 21 participants. Participants were currently on treatment (n = 2), < 2years from treatment completion (n = 7), or > 2years from treatment completion (n = 12). Two overarching meta-themes were identified: Negotiating Identity (comprising "recovery, repair and control"; "breaking the news"; "threats to fertility and virility"; "multiple masculinities") and Needing to Adjust (comprising "trauma and post-traumatic growth"; "facing vulnerability"; "managing to cope"; "secrecy vs. privacy"). Shared themes relating to environments for support, conversations about cancer, and time stress were also identified. Despite the significant cure rates for testicular cancer, the psychosocial needs of patients diagnosed with TC are paramount and potentially long-lasting. Improved clinical care for these patients includes exploration of both physical and psychosocial concerns over multiple timepoints. Opportunities for peer support and mentorship may be essential to support these vulnerable patients.

From Silence to Testimonio: Latina Adolescents’ Agency in Writing

This qualitative classroom-based study investigated the writing practices, choices, and reflections of Latinx high school students during an instructional unit on writing testimonio. The study was grounded in a sociocultural theory of writing and draws from LatCrit and testimonio research to understand how writing about self as testimonio shapes the writing practices Latinx, urban mujeres. The study took place in an eleventh grade class at an urban charter school in a major urban center in the southwest. Data collection included writing samples, interviews, participant observer memos, and field notes. Analysis was conducted through a testimonio and narrative analysis lens and afforded researchers and participants the opportunity to co-construct the knowledge gained from the data corpus. Findings focused on the ways participants interacted with the study unit, how they found agency as writers, took pride in their writing, and ownership of the narratives of their communities.

Exploring the Socio-Technical Imaginary of Artificial General Intelligence in The Bard Large Language Model: A Narrative Analysis on Perspectives and Dialectics

The 2022 release of ChatGPT sparked widespread discussions on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Through a detailed examination of an interview with Bard, a large language model, the study uncovers narratives of optimism and pessimism regarding AGI's future implications. It found a higher leaning towards optimism about AGI's potential effects, extending from education, arts, and relationships, to economy and space exploration. Conversely, pessimistic views pointed out potential downsides, such as unemployment, political instability, and media manipulation. The study also identified four primary AGI themes - the relationship between humans and AGI, AGI acquiring a physical form, AGI simulating a universe, and the responsible utilization of AGI. These insights aid in understanding the complex socio-technical imaginary surrounding AGI. The study has its limitations as it is based solely on the responses provided by Bard during its test phase. Additional research may reveal changes in AGI discourse representation as the model evolves.

Exploration of factors on school District Housing in China

In recent years, school district housing has raised a lot of attention in China where school facilities have begun playing a vital role in determination of housing in those districts resulting in higher costs of housing in schools’ districts in large and medium size cities. Although previous works have essentially compared the rates of premiums from a housing economics perspective, less effort has been made to adequately explicate the processes that underlie the formation of school district housing. This paper fills this gap by exlploring the evolution process of school district housing in China and discussing about its formation mode from several perspectives. This study will mainly focus on explorative and descriptive approach in selecting participants for interviews and documentary review for the analysis of narratives and themes. The research highlights the need to better understand the complex economically and sociologically driven factors when developing policy to ensure that education and housing are accessible by all.