Bruner, J. S. (1991). The narrative construction of reality. Critical Inquiry, 18(1), 1-21.
Jerome Bruner starts by pointing out that, for a longe time, science and scientists have striven towards producing an explanation of human behaviour. Until recently, the two main opposing views have been rationalism (metaphysics) and empiricism (3). However, lately, the social constructionist approach became influencial. Information and experience stemming from social interaction is organised in narrative form, which is judged in terms of plausible or not, instead of correct or false (4) The author considers narrative thought and discourse to be closely interwined and does not discriminate between the two (5) Narratives are not only a form of describing, but also a form of constructing and understanding reality (5) Narrative characteristics: 1. 2.
Narratives are time related, events are depicted in a specific order (6) Narratives depict particular events, which in turn can be included in generic types of narrative (e.g. love story between rich and poor) (6-7) 3. Narratives depict a person's actions as being determined by intentional entities (values, beliefs, desires, thoughts) at work in a certain setting. The person's actions cannot be completely predicted, only guessed, due to the presupposition of free will. Therefore, actions cannot be explained through causes, just interpreted through reasons (7) 4. Narratives are texts which require hermeneutical interpretation, which implies that we can ascribe different meanings to it. Moreover, parts of the narrative get their sense from the narrative as a whold, since facts do not exist as such prior to being mentioned, but are constructed during the narration. How are texts interpreted as narratives? Through 'narrative seduction' or 'narrative banalization' (7-8). Interpreting narratives takes into account that they are intentional/purposive (the narrators have a goal) (10). Story interpretation also depends on commonly shared knowledge between teller and listener, as well as on what the latter thinks of the former (10) 5. Accounts of norms and rules are transformed into narratives only when events depicting a breach of norms are told. These breaches are themselves types, not
singular, but conventional. The subsequent narratives depict what happened and why it is worth retelling it (11-12) 6. Narrative 'truth' is assessed by plausability not by verifyability (13) 7. Genres are ways of constructing as well as understanding stories. Furthermore, new genres also introduce new ways of interpreting everyday events (14-15) 8. Narratives are culturally normative, depicting one or more rules available in a certain culture (16) 9. Narrative interpretation is context dependent and the request to shut down any previous knowledge is unrealistic and undesirable. Narrative interpretability permits negotiation of rules (17) 10. How are stories liked together (accrued) into traditions, histories, and culture? Through causal links and through contemporaneity (18)
