Narrative psychology

Narrative psychology is a methodological approach within psychology that specifically draws on the humanities roots of psychology. The Narrative psychology seeks to understand the ways in which narratives and stories are used by people for a meaning.

Theoretical Framework

Narrative psychology assumes that people give their lives meaning and significance by play experiences in the form of stories and tales. Individual life events are not - considered by itself connected to each other: Connections and plausibility rather are created only in the process of narrativization the subject. Starting point for a story, neither the facts nor the belief that it was really so, but the actual presence of the narrating subject in space and time.

Stories are then not the result of whatever kind past, but the attempt of the narrator, from the perspective of the here and now one - for the listener and themselves - to formulate coherent story. It tells into three forms of time: The original event comes from the past, it is linked to the current conditions of the present and seen in an anticipation to the future. A special interest within the narrative psychology is paid to a person narratives about themselves, so their construction of self and identity.

Formation

The Narrative psychology has developed in the early eighties of the twentieth century from the critique of classical psychology. Similar to the turn of behaviorism to cognitivism criticism of the one-dimensionality and limitations of psychological approaches played a major role. In essence, was accused of classical, mostly natural science-oriented psychology, Although to deal with the cognitive performance of humans, but not with the much more important construction of meaning.

Narrative psychology approaches differ from the field of narratology. Narratologists base their work in general on the linguistic structuralism, while narrative psychologists are guided by postmodern and poststructuralist approaches.

Narrative psychology can be understood as a reaction of psychology to the linguistic turn in the social sciences and to the emergence of postmodern theories in philosophy. A crucial role is played by the developments in the post-structuralism and the associated critique of classical epistemology. Instead of believing that it is possible for science to come, regardless of the subjective beliefs and attitudes of the researchers only, using the correct method to statements that the truth ever closer to the postmodern theory assumes that all understanding illustrating a construction of our mind that is conditioned subjected by external influences, constant changes.

Many scientists do not understand Narrative psychology necessarily as a new creation, but rather as the resumption of through the concentrate more on scientific approaches in the background crowded approaches. And indeed, the narrative approaches associated with interest in storytelling, that is, of how people tell their life and thus create subjective meaning structures, not new. One of the most famous examples of Befassens with stories within psychology case studies are probably no doubt Sigmund Freud. Even Gordon Allport in the sixties and Henry Murray in the thirties of the twentieth century dealt already with stories of individual CVs.

Prompted by the post-modern doubts about the ability of positivist science to solve social problems, developments in various fields of psychology can be highlighted, which eventually lead to the formation of a be concentrating on narratives psychology. For example, in the field of psychoanalytic theory with the work Roy Schafer, in personality psychology associated with the name Dan McAdams, in cognitive psychology and the work of Jerome Bruner, as well as in basic philosophical reflection dominated by work on the social constructionism of Kenneth Gergen. The beginning of this movement is often identified with the publication of a collection of essays, edited and introduced by Theodore Sarbin, entitled Narrative Psychology - combined The Storied Nature of Human Conduct. For the first time there psychologists were brought together from completely different work areas in order to illuminate their respective specification below narrative point of view.

Development

The field of narrative psychology has become extremely developed in recent years since the publication of the essay collection Sarbins and enlarged. Nevertheless, it can be said that the vast majority of scientists who feel the narrative perspective inherent in the constructivist view agree that the narration is the primary structuring scheme defined by the people of their identity and their relationship with the environment and with sense and meaning fill.