Policy Press
Introduction
Abstract
It is common now to talk of the narrative turn – the use of narrative concepts and methods – in a wide array of disciplines. Seemingly we find narrative under every stone and in every nook and cranny – narrative ethics, philosophy, theology, biology, history, anthropology, gender studies, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, rhetoric, management and leadership, and even the ‘hard sciences’ of mathematics, chemistry and physics. One cannot but find narrative wherever one wanders.
In social work, however – a profession that is, I think, so obviously narrative in nature – the literature on narrative is surprisingly limited. In their review of the narrative and social work literature, Riessman and Quinney (2005) found that for the largest part the literature concerned itself with narrative as a method, followed by narrative and social work education and then by autobiographical accounts. With regard to the use of narrative concepts and methods in social work research, Riessman and Quinney were disappointed by their limited use and by the variable quality of the narrative research they found. It is worth noting, however, that one exemplar that Riessman and Quinney cite explores storytelling at team meetings and addresses how cases are made through storytelling (White, 2002). This process of constructing cases through narrative has also been explored by Hall (1997), Urek (2005) and myself (Baldwin, 2005). Both Hall and Urek use narrative as a means of understanding social work per se, rather than simply an adjunct to its primary practices. This is in contrast to other authors who use narrative in a more limited fashion.
Abstract
It is common now to talk of the narrative turn – the use of narrative concepts and methods – in a wide array of disciplines. Seemingly we find narrative under every stone and in every nook and cranny – narrative ethics, philosophy, theology, biology, history, anthropology, gender studies, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, rhetoric, management and leadership, and even the ‘hard sciences’ of mathematics, chemistry and physics. One cannot but find narrative wherever one wanders.
In social work, however – a profession that is, I think, so obviously narrative in nature – the literature on narrative is surprisingly limited. In their review of the narrative and social work literature, Riessman and Quinney (2005) found that for the largest part the literature concerned itself with narrative as a method, followed by narrative and social work education and then by autobiographical accounts. With regard to the use of narrative concepts and methods in social work research, Riessman and Quinney were disappointed by their limited use and by the variable quality of the narrative research they found. It is worth noting, however, that one exemplar that Riessman and Quinney cite explores storytelling at team meetings and addresses how cases are made through storytelling (White, 2002). This process of constructing cases through narrative has also been explored by Hall (1997), Urek (2005) and myself (Baldwin, 2005). Both Hall and Urek use narrative as a means of understanding social work per se, rather than simply an adjunct to its primary practices. This is in contrast to other authors who use narrative in a more limited fashion.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- About the authors ix
-
Narrative
- Introduction 3
- Introduction to narrative theory 13
-
Narrative and social work
- Narrative, human rights and social justice 31
- The narrative Self and social work 47
- Social work ethics and narrative 59
- Narrative and social policy 73
-
Application
- Plot, characterisation and rhetoric in child protection 85
- The narrative Self in mental health discourse 103
- Meta-narratives of disability 117
- Conclusion 133
- References 139
- Index 159
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- About the authors ix
-
Narrative
- Introduction 3
- Introduction to narrative theory 13
-
Narrative and social work
- Narrative, human rights and social justice 31
- The narrative Self and social work 47
- Social work ethics and narrative 59
- Narrative and social policy 73
-
Application
- Plot, characterisation and rhetoric in child protection 85
- The narrative Self in mental health discourse 103
- Meta-narratives of disability 117
- Conclusion 133
- References 139
- Index 159
