Co-constructed Narratives Research Articles

‘Do I Have to Say Exactly Word by Word?’ (Re)producing and Negotiating Asymmetrical Relations in Asylum Interviews

In this paper, we conduct a critical discourse analytical study of asylum interviews in order to contribute to knowledge and awareness of (a) how asymmetrical power relations are discursively (re)produced as well as manoeuvred and negotiated during the interaction and (b) what this means in terms of positioning of the participants. Focusing on a number of metacommunicative sequences characterised by a notably high degree of interpersonal complexity, we examine how participants are positioned and how positioning is discursively realised. We draw on eight observed and recorded asylum interviews conducted in Sweden 2018–2021. Metacommunicative positioning is analysed mainly with a focus on speech functions and modality. We show that metacommunication is used by all participants largely as a means of constructing an asylum narrative within the framework of an institutional discourse. The participants can position each other in (dis)advantageous ways in their attempts to deny, or sometimes claim, responsibility for miscommunication. The applicants generally obey the metacommunicative instructions given by other, more powerful participants. However, we also show an example of an applicant who makes resistance to the institutional discourse. Furthermore, all participants use metacommunication as a tool to guide each other in the conversation, thereby positioning themselves as responsible for the co-construction of the asylum narrative. Finally, we underline the benefits of conducting critical discourse analysis in the study of asylum interviews, although such studies can barely change the fact that the asylum determination process is unequal and asymmetrical in its core.

Intersectional elaboration: Using a multiracial feminist co-design technique with Latina teens for emotional health

Underlying the growing epidemic of mental distress and suicidal ideation amongst certain marginalised groups (e.g. Latina teens) are complex intersections of ecologies and interrelated structures of inequality such as class, culture, race and gender. Through the use of a multiracial feminist framework, the proposed intersectional elaboration technique examines how technology might be designed in ways that explicitly consider intersecting structures of inequality and eco-developmental contexts. The core of this technique involves co-constructing narratives using prompts that directly address specific layers of one's ecology and the interactions across ecological layers – purposely addressing intersecting systems of inequality acting along these ecologies. This article describes the application of the intersectional elaboration technique in co-design research with adolescent Latinas, in a highly urbanised context, towards designing emotional health technology. Findings suggest that intersectional elaborations can serve as a useful generative co-design technique to inform designs that address complex arrangements of intra-ecological conflicts and cultural legitimacy.

Life Story Interviewing as a Method to Co-Construct Narratives About Resilience

Human life presents many unplanned twists and turns. No one escapes this world without facing adversity of some kind. Therefore, the value in teaching and researching resilience cannot be overstated. This research explores how life story interviewing with interactive methods (also referred to as “elicitation techniques”) provides an invaluable approach to investigating and understanding resilience. Specifically, a stepwise framework is offered for researching resilience as a co-constructed, relational phenomenon. Upon applying this framework through teaching an undergraduate senior seminar, I offer thematic observations of my students’ interviewing experiences to show how life storytelling promotes (a) embodied understandings of resilience, (b) an appreciation for others’ unique differences, and (c) strengthened relationships between interviewees and interviewers. These findings show promise for future teachers and researchers interested in exploring the relational benefits made possible through creative storytelling methods. The methods proposed in this study not only provide a means for exploring conceptualizations of resilience; in and of themselves, they enact resilience.

Michael White: marcos teóricos da Prática Narrativa

Post-modernity, narrative turn, constructivist and constructionist paradigms have opened various perspectives for the psychotherapeutic intervention. This study will highlight the theoretical knowledge that reinforces the Narrative Practice produced by David Epston and Michael White, with emphasis on the contribution of Michael White, an author who plans narrative co-construction between therapist and person in therapy. The Narrative Pratice is characterized for desconstruction of the saturated story, the narrative reconstruction and self reautoring through favorite stories basing on the experience of the person in therapy. The survey objective was to recognize, integrate and organize the diverse information dispersed throughout the Narrative Practice literature. It was performed a literature review emphasizing postmodernity characterization and Michael White’s dialogue with Bruner, Bateson, Foucault, Vygotsky, and Derrida. The method used was the bibliographic survey of books, articles, dissertations, and theses. The theoretical study may favor the therapist to create contexts conducive to change, which may contribute to the psychotherapeutic process.

Phantom Physicians and Medical Catfishing: A Narrative Ethics Approach to Ghost Surgery

The concerns raised by ghost surgery, an unethical practice in which someone other than the surgeon who obtains consent performs an operative procedure without the patient's knowledge, have long been ignored by bioethics and other related disciplines. Indeed, ghost surgery is neither tracked nor studied in the United States, and the practice itself remains underreported. Ghost surgery represents a corporeal transgression as well as a relational rift: what was communicated by physicians is rendered null and void, and the surgical narrative that patients thought they knew is disrobed as a lie and revealed to be a catfish. In order to combat this practice and prevent any form of medical catfishing, physicians must guarantee effective communication and transparency and view themselves as storytellers alongside their patients. By following such a framework, physicians can ideally end the simulation and suture an ethic of accountability within a co-constructed narrative.

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE, DECOLONIALITY, AND POLYPHONY IN MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION STUDIES: A THEORETIC-METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

This article aims to propose a polyphonic decolonial historical approach to Management and Organization Studies (MOS), relating the theoretical methodological aspects of the historical perspective with the decolonial option. We suggest a conceptual dialogue between the historiographical approach and MOS. We aimed to reflect on the possibilities for improving the organization theory, emphasizing the methodological concern with polyphony in historical studies. As a result, epistemological limitations in the use of history are presented when associated with MOS that is necessary to be overcome. We assume a position of understanding the history composed of narratives as fragmented representations of the past. Also, we articulate the ethical-political option of decoloniality for the co-construction of historical narratives about translocal practical-knowledge in management - towards pluriversal transmodernity. The article contributes to epistemic and methodological (re)orientations engaged in the context of (1) local/regional research-teaching (2) through the theory and practice of management in (3) rescuing the sociocultural identity.

P–493 Couples joint narratives of coping with and making sense of recurrent pregnancy loss: a dyadic interview study

Abstract Study question What are couples’ joint narratives of coping with, and making sense of recurrent pregnancy loss? Summary answer Couples can become stuck in patterns of communication and coping roles that may be dissatisfying and not reflect the complexity of their experience of RPL. What is known already Fertility problems such as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) are unique health issues because they are a couple problem, in that they involve a blocked parenthood goal for both members of the couple regardless of the cause or source of the fertility issue. Previous research has focused on the psychosocial impact on the individual or examined gender differences in men and women’s response to RPL. Research suggests that couples’ relationships are impacted, but few examine this issue in interviews with couples as participants. We need appropriate study designs to examine and understand the couple’s experience and process on a dyadic level. Study design, size, duration This was a qualitative study using dyadic interviews and analysis. This method facilitates a co-construction of meaning and joint narrative between couples through sharing and comparing their experience in a conjoint dyadic interview. Thirteen couples who were referred to the RPL program, in Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark were interviewed over a two-month period in 2017–2018. Interviews were held at Rigshospitalet and ranged between 81 and 109 minutes (average 91 minutes). Participants/materials, setting, methods: Inclusion criteria included: heterosexual couples with at least three pregnancy losses (PL) under 12 weeks gestation with no children/one child and willing to be interviewed in English. Thirty invitations were sent to couples who met the inclusion criteria and 15 couples contacted the interviewer to schedule an interview. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were conducted in person with 13 couples. Data was analyzed using dyadic analysis with a focus on common themes in co-constructed meaning across couples. Main results and the role of chance On average, participants had been in their relationship for 8.4 years, experienced three PLs (range three–six), with most recent PL occurring 4.3 months before the interview. Couples described becoming stuck in patterns of communication and in rigid roles of coping and relating (e.g., the optimist, the emotional one) that could be dissatisfying and not meet their needs and not reflect the nuances and complexity of their experience of RPL. Common roles included the “optimist” versus the “pessimist”, the “talker” versus the “listener” and the “emotional” versus the “rational / problem solver”. While these roles were rooted in some truth of their experience, the rigidity of these roles did not create space and flexibility for the full spectrum of their reactions and experience. For example, a woman said, “I hope for him to be the pessimist so I get to be the optimist sometimes” and several men shared the depth of their grief for the first time. The interviews were a way to highlight and create a new dynamic by allowing couples to respond to and correct their partner’s assumptions about their experience or role (e.g., “that’s not how I feel all the time”) and try new ways of communicating. Limitations, reasons for caution The findings cannot be generalized to all couples who have experienced RPL given the study design. Whilst dyadic interviews allow for a fuller, more nuanced narrative account, couples may omit some of their experience in the interview due to social desirability. Wider implications of the findings: This study provides a better understanding of the complexity of communication patterns and roles in couples with RPL that can improve provision of support and counselling. Dyadic interviews can provide opportunities for couples to communicate differently and break out of dissatisfying patterns while creating common ground and generating shared meaning. Trial registration number N/A

Co-constructions, co-performances and co-reflections in early years qualitative research

This study investigates our role as early years researchers in qualitative data analysis. We draw on our doctoral studies to address how the co-construction, co-performance and co-reflection of narratives elicit deeper and new understandings of early years workers in England, and how our life stories are co-produced through narrative inquiry. Employing a constructionist approach and building on Buitelaar theorisation of I-positions and the multi-vocal ‘self’, we explore how narratives are co-constructed and co-performed between the researched and researcher in relation to the ‘self’ and master narratives of culture, time and place. Data were collected using focus groups and semi-structured interviews involving 50 early years workers and 17 nurseries situated in the South East of England. By ‘co-reflecting’ on how the data was analysed, we discussed the ways in which we and our participants are simultaneously positioned within social categories of intersectionality, such as gender, social class, mother and worker. Our reflections offer a broader understanding of how qualitative research can enrich existing knowledge of how early years workers and their practice are constructed in England.

"Bumps in the Road": A Pilot Study of a Therapeutic Technique for the Integration of Unresolved Family Loss and Trauma.

The ability to sustain a coherent narrative about experiences of trauma and loss is a prominent feature of secure-autonomous attachment states of mind as assessed in narrative tasks such as the Adult Attachment Interview. The current study examines the clinical application of the concepts of narrative coherence and discourse segregation within a therapeutic intervention for whole families. Bumps in the Road is a family drawing task, which aims to facilitate the co-construction of family narratives about adversities such as trauma, loss and hardship. The technique aims to increase the family’s narrative coherence about such challenging events. The paper first presents a description of the task itself together with the discourse theories of defensive processing of adverse events. The study also presents pilot quantitative findings from 19 parents on the psychometric properties of a coding system of the families’ discourses in undertaking the task and the therapist’s techniques in administering the task. The predictive association of coding of the narratives were examined as predictors of change in internalising and externalising symptoms in the referred child, using the Child Behaviour Checklist. Findings showed that therapist competence in administration of the task did significantly predict the magnitude of treatment efficacy. The current study is the first presentation of this novel therapeutic task and sets a platform for further research on the use of narrative tasks and the formal coding of discourse in therapeutic work with children and families.

Seduction, Sharing Stories, and Borderlinking in Co-Constructed Narratives

Drawing on a co-constructed autobiographical narrative as our example, we explore the resonances of Catherine Kohler Reissman’s concept of seduction with Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger’s concept of matrixial borderlinking. Borderlinking between theoretical domains, rather than comparisons or juxtaposition, brings forth potentialities and expands the theorization of feminine subjectivities in much the same way as co-constructed narratives celebrate the we without obliterating the I.

Beyond “doing no harm”: saddle points in anonymization and masking as socialized practices for new researchers

A central challenge to addressing what becomes taken-for-granted in method in educational research is socialization into the field. During graduate training, students and their mentors are challenged by unique projects. Here, authors, two early career scholars and a faculty mentor, offer a critical interrogation of socialization experiences related to methods of anonymizing and masking, questions of responsibilities to varying publics, and the good that research might, or might not, do in the world by sharing a co-constructed narrative based on interactive interviews which took place over six months. The authors identify saddle points, or points of stillness, within these conversations that offer, but do not dictate, considerations for teaching practices of anonymizing and masking as part of qualitative research training and socialization.

Beyond listening: the value of co-research in the co-construction of narratives

In this article, we discuss how co-research – two researchers working together at each stage of the research process – can be used to analyse narratives created from qualitative interviews (drawing on Brown and Gilligan’s Listening Guide). We argue that co-research affords a richness and depth of analysis and propagates multiple, layered interpretations through a process of co-reflection. To illustrate our approach, we present an analysis of two case studies from the ‘From Adversity to University’ project, a longitudinal qualitative study evaluating the effectiveness of a bridging module as a way into higher education for students who have been affected by homelessness in England. We co-reflect on how our participants, our relationship with our participants and our relationship with each other as researchers has changed over time. We conclude that a co-researcher approach to analysing narratives is textually and emotionally enriching, as the co-constructed multiple interpretations transform not just the analysis of the text but also the relationship between researchers and their participants in new and unexpected ways.

Should I intervene or not? Reflexive learning in Forum Theatre: a peer dialogue on a facilitator’s dilemma

ABSTRACT Forum theatre is a dialogic method with the potential to bridge the gap between practice-based and academic learning in higher education by enabling postgraduate students to act out and critically reflect on everyday dilemmas. In previous research, little attention is placed on the crucial role of the facilitator and the implications of her decisions to intervene or not in the Forum Theatre for participants’ reflexive learning. Applying an autoethnographic lens in a co-constructed narrative followed by a peer dialogue, we expose emerging emotional in- and exclusion processes with regard to this dilemma. In our peer dialogue and critical reflection on the narrative we unravel ethical dimensions of the decision to intervene or not. We discuss the delicate balance between othering certain participants and questioning their taken-for-granted knowledge in order to facilitate reflexive learning. As such we provide insights into the complexity and ethical dimensions of facilitating Forum Theatre.

Managing narratives, managing identities: Language and credibility in legal consultations with asylum seekers

AbstractThis study examines interactional management practices and narrative co-construction in lawyer-asylum seeker consultations in Flanders, Belgium. Drawing upon linguistic-ethnographic fieldwork, it presents a case study of a consultation between an Afghan applicant for international protection, his adviser, and his lawyer. The purpose of the consultation is to prepare the applicant for testifying at the upcoming asylum hearing. Data analysis focuses on (i) the reorientation of the asylum narrative from an authentic-experiential towards a more objectified formal-institutional account; (ii) the participants’ positioning work that indexes this reorientation process; and (iii) their fluctuating alignment of local-interactional and translocal-gatekeeping perspectives. In the discussion, we analyse the consultation in terms of competing legal and experiential voices and views on participant roles/responsibilities. We reflect on how this ambiguity of roles and ideologies relates to the constructed character of credibility, which reveals the importance of adequate legal assistance in this linguistically challenging context. (Legal consultations, asylum procedure, linguistic ethnography, narrative performance, credibility assessment)*

Phantom Physicians and Medical Catfishing: A Narrative Ethics Approach to Ghost Surgery

The concerns raised by ghost surgery, an unethical practice in which someone other than the surgeon who obtains consent performs an operative procedure without the patient’s knowledge, have long been ignored by bioethics and other related disciplines. Indeed, ghost surgery is neither tracked nor studied in the United States, and the practice itself remains underreported. Ghost surgery represents a corporeal transgression as well as a relational rift: what was communicated by physicians is rendered null and void, and the surgical narrative that patients thought they knew is disrobed as a lie and revealed to be a catfish. In order to combat this practice and prevent any form of medical catfishing, physicians must guarantee effective communication and transparency and view themselves as storytellers alongside their patients. By following such a framework, physicians can ideally end the simulation and suture an ethic of accountability within a co-constructed narrative.

Latinx Youth in the Borderlands: A Co-Constructed Narrative Examining Literacy Practices in Negotiating Self-Identity, Enacting Resistance, and Navigating Mexican-ness

Latinx Youth in the Borderlands: A Co-Constructed Narrative Examining Literacy Practices in Negotiating Self-Identity, Enacting Resistance, and Navigating Mexican-ness

Constructing hope: Negotiations between patients, caregivers and providers in end-of-life care decisions for women with gynecologic cancers

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how engagement in end-of-life care by women with gynecologic cancers is shaped by ideological commitments of patients, caregivers, and providers to a political economy of hope and culture of cure. Coconstructed narratives produce a culture that serves as a barrier to utilization of palliative and hospice care. This explains how current interventions centered on education or communication fall short in overcoming this limitation of gynecologic oncologic care.

‘The words has been immigrate’: Chronotopes in context-shaping narrative co-construction about Taiwanese loanwords with Taiwanese Americans

AbstractThis study argues for the analytical validity of the chronotope in research on context by examining a conversational narrative between Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans. It offers an endogenous view of context in the sense that chronotopes are anchored by how participants invoke specific time-space representations relevant to the active shaping of context. Furthermore, it adds a historical dimension to the understanding of context as multi-layered in meaning. In the data, participants’ discussion of Taiwanese loanwords creates three connected chronotopes that draw on Taiwan's transnational history for the narrative co-construction. Finally, the chronotopic analysis demonstrates how identities emerge as time-space coordinates—seventeenth-century Dutch in Taiwan and twenty-first-century Taiwanese in the US—and are used as resources to map a shared background with a Taiwanese origin. The study applies the notion of the chronotope outside of the interview setting and contributes to a more laminated theorization of context in naturally occurring conversation. (Chronotope, context, narrative, historicity, Taiwanese American, identity)*

Examining relations between parent-child narrative talk and children’s episodic foresight and theory of mind

Participation in narratives that discuss the past and the future is associated with preschool-aged children’s language and cognitive development. In particular, adopting an elaborative style (asking questions to request information, and providing information) during narratives about the past has been shown to benefit children’s development, yet little is known about their participation in narratives about the future. We examined similarities and differences in parents' and children’s elaborativeness during narratives about the past and the future, and relations between parents’ elaborative features, children’s elaborative features, and children’s episodic foresight and Theory of Mind. Four-year-olds (N = 36) and their parents co-constructed narratives about past and future events in a laboratory setting. There were no differences in elaborativeness between past and future narratives for both parents and children. Controlling for parents’ narrative elaborativeness, children’s overall elaborativeness about the past and the future predicted their own episodic foresight, but the relation between children’s elaborativeness and their Theory of Mind was not significant.

Eliciting recovery narratives in global mental health: Benefits and potential harms in service user participation.

The engagement of peers and service users is increasingly emphasized in mental health clinical, educational, and research activities. A core means of engagement is via the sharing of recovery narratives, through which service users present their personal history of moving from psychiatric disability to recovery. We critically examine the range of contexts and purposes for which recovery narratives are elicited in global mental health. We present 4 case studies that represent the variability in recovery narrative elicitation, purpose, and geography: a mental health Gap Action Programme clinician training program in Nepal, an inpatient clinical service in Indian-controlled Kashmir, a recovery-oriented care program in urban Australia, and an undergraduate education program in the rural United States. In each case study, we explore the context, purpose, process of elicitation, content, and implications of incorporating recovery narratives. Within each context, organizations engaging service users had a specific intention of what "recovery" should constitute. This was influenced by the anticipated audience for the recovery stories. These expectations influenced the types of service users included, narrative content, and training provided for service users to prepare and share narratives. Our cases illustrate the benefit of these coconstructed narratives and potential negative impacts on service users in some contexts, especially when used as a prerequisite for accessing or being discharged from clinical care. Recovery narratives have the potential to be used productively across purposes and contexts when there is adequate identification of and responses to potential risks and challenges. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).