Narrative and interpretation

Raconte-moi une histoire. Enjeux et perspectives (critiques) du narrativisme

by Johann Petitjean

published in "Tracés. Revue de Sciences humaines", 13, 2007, p. 185-200

Emerging Culture Conflict Mediation: A Field Manual for Mediating Tribal Conflict

by Patrick James Christian

Nova Southeastern University Graduate School of Humanities & Social Science, Department of Conflict Analysis & Resolution

Table of Contents
Introduction: a new approach to engaging intrastate conflict 3
Mediating Emerging Culture Conflict: Process & Technique 4
Stage one – discovering the conflict story 5
Stage two – externalizing the story and mapping its effects 9
Stage three – evaluating the stories and identifying possibilities for restorying 12
Stage four – reimagining identity-meaning and restorying the conflict narrative 16
The Joint Mediation Session – Theater & Stagecraft 19
Theater 20
Stagecraft 21
Appendix A Tribal Engagement Model – Relations with the Political State 23
Appendix B – Group Identity Placement Model 24
References 25

Introduction: a new approach to engaging intrastate conflict
Emerging culture mediation is a relatively recent... more Introduction: a new approach to engaging intrastate conflict
Emerging culture mediation is a relatively recent approach to resolving intra-state cultural conflict in sociocentric societies in regions where governance is problematic, failing or non-existent. For the purposes of this publication, we define emerging cultures as communities bounded by blood, marriage, and/or ethnic ties that share a common language, group identity and who commonly express their identity through a shared culture. The ‘emerging’ part of the name refers to the community’s requirement to eventually adapt to a shrinking and changing world, often with insufficient guidance or support from the political state which is in the process of adapting itself to the demands of modernity. This mediation model adapts the narrative mediation approach of Winslade & Monk  to the types of conflict that these emerging cultures are now confronting due to the demands of modernity as well as political, social and environmental change. Such change creates barriers to the unobstructed or uncontested continuance of the cultures’ historical narrative, large group identity and possibly even their physical survival  (Geertz, 1975).  Often, the conflict disputes that emerging cultures find themselves embroiled in can appear intractable because the conflict pits a culture’s historical narrative and group identity against non-negotiable forces of external change.  These non-negotiable forces may place two or more cultural groups in opposition, but it is most often external change that ultimately drives the conflict. Examples of external changes that drive emerging cultures into conflict include environmental changes such as deforestation or desertification; diminishing common pool resources such as water, pasture or wildlife; national and regional political and social evolution; or finally, the loss of group membership due to the lure of modernity and associated ego-centric models of social being that entice younger generations into urban centers.  Such change is dreaded (Beisser, 2006) and resisted by cultures in conflict because it heralds the possibility of a break in their historical narrative; the same narrative that encapsulates their psychological identity, cultural expression, generational memory of their origin and existential purpose of the present.

Un aspetto pragmatico del finale narrativo

by Giulio Savelli

Relazione tenuta nel 1991 al "Séminaire de sémiotique textuelle", Centre de Recherches Italiennes, Université de Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, ora in  "Narrativa", 4, Paris, C.R.I.X., 1993, pp. 11-26.

See:

http://www.giuliosavelli.eu/#Teoria See:

http://www.giuliosavelli.eu/#Teoria

[Book Review: The Knotted Subject: Hysteria and Its Discontents Elisabeth Bronfen]

by Dianne Hunter

The glocalisation of heritage through tourism: Balancing standardisation and differentiation

by Noel B. Salazar

Salazar, Noel B. 2010. The glocalisation of heritage through tourism: Balancing standardisation and differentiation. In S. Labadi & C. Long (Eds.), Heritage and globalisation (pp. 130-147). London: Routledge.

Heritage destinations worldwide are adapting themselves to the homogenizing standards of global tourism at the same... more Heritage destinations worldwide are adapting themselves to the homogenizing standards of global tourism at the same time as trying to maintain, or even increase, their local particularity. While local and national tourism authorities and tour operators package and sell so-called ‘authentic’ cultural landscapes or ‘traditional’ cultures, what counts as heritage – be it material or intangible – and the way it is interpreted is increasingly defined and controlled supralocally. This chapter sketches the broad picture of global heritage tourism in the 21st century and illustrates the general trends with examples of ongoing ethnographic research on cultural heritage tourism in central Java, Indonesia.

El sueño de la razón produce víctimas: la cuestión amorosa e intelectual en dos novelas de tesis de Pereda

by Juan Escourido

Voz y letra: Revista de literatura, ISSN 1130-3271, Vol. 21, Nº 2, 2010, pp. 61-77

Este artículo trata de desarrollar la interrelación que percibo entre la cuestión intelectual, la amorosa y la... more Este artículo trata de desarrollar la interrelación que percibo entre la cuestión intelectual, la amorosa y la religiosa en las novelas de tesis ideológica que suceden al fracaso de La Gloriosa, centrando su análisis en dos textos de José María de Pereda: D. Gonzalo González de la Gonzalera (1878) y De tal palo tal astilla (1880). Muestra la discordancia entre las recepciones del intelectual que se reflejan en esas novelas, ahondando en la actitud que despliegan para dar cuenta de su figura y de la repercusión social de las ideas que detenta y difunde. En relación a esa repercusión, expone las diferencias que existen entre los espacios donde la mayor parte de la acción tiene lugar ―Coteruco y Valdecines― mostrando lo que percibo como una redirección de la condena a las «ideas del siglo». Por último, expone cómo esa redirección unida al contraste que existe entre la caracterización y el tratamiento de los personajes que podemos considerar trasuntos de la figura del intelectual y el que se da entre las caracterizaciones de las comunidades de oyentes a las que el intelectual llega muestran el cambio de juicio del autor implícito de esas obras acerca de los problemas del país y de las consecuencias socioculturales del arribo de la modernidad.

Cognición retrospectiva, intertextualidad e interpretación: Un símbolo en 'Navidad' de Nabokov

by José Angel García Landa

"Hindsight, Intertextuality, and Interpretation: A Symbol in Nabokov's 'Christmas'." Published in SYMBOLISM: An International Annual of Critical Aesthetics (New York: AMS Press), 5 (2005): 267-94. English text at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1624262

Este artículo examina la significación del simbolismo de la mariposa en el relato de Vladimir Nabokov ’Navidad’... more Este artículo examina la significación del simbolismo de la mariposa en el relato de Vladimir Nabokov ’Navidad’ ('Christmas', trad. de 'Rozhdestvo', 1925), a la luz de una teoría interaccionista de la interpretación. Se muestra cómo los elementos intertextuales emergen a través de un proceso de debate crítico, relectura e interacción discursiva, a medida que se van estableciendo gradualmente la importancia y significación cultural de un texto. El enfoque crítico de este artículo intenta combinar las percepciones del análisis del discurso, de la hermenéutica narrativa y de la pragmática literaria.

Mentoring and Reporting Research: A Concern for Aesthetics

by Donna Alvermann

Co-authored with George G. Hruby

Ambivalence and Recursion in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

by Paul Martin

Published in Eludamos 5.1 (2011). A version of this paper was presented at DiGRA 2009.

This article is a close reading of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (KCE Tokyo, 1997) that offers its various forms... more This article is a close reading of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (KCE Tokyo, 1997) that offers its various forms of recursion as performed by the player, the character and the plot as means of enriching the characterisation of the protagonist, Alucard, as ambivalent. It draws on theories of the labyrinth as a way of enacting a meaningful routine to illustrate this relationship between space, performance and meaning in the game.

Repairing Ruptures: Multivocality of Analyses

by Brady Wagoner

Wagoner, B., Gillespie, A., Valsiner, J., Zittoun, T., Salgado, J. & Simão, L. (2011). Repairing Ruptures: Multivocality of Analyses. In: M. Märtsin, B. Wagoner, E. Aveling, I. Kadianaki, & L. Whittaker (Eds.). Dialogicality in Focus: Challenges to Theory, Method and Application (pp 105-127). Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers.

Dialogical thinkers have long known that consciousness is a kind of irreversible flow that passes through similar (but... more Dialogical thinkers have long known that consciousness is a kind of irreversible flow that passes through similar (but not identical) positions; yet, the methodological tools to analyse these complexities have not been wholly adequate. Analytic strategies need to be developed that demonstrate both how to identify positions and analyze their spatial/temporal relationships. To this end, the present chapter aims to concretely explore researchers' reasoning in conducting a dialogical analysis of intra-psychological discourse. Six researchers were given the task of independently carrying out a dialogical analysis of Angel's (1985) stream-of-consciousness short story The Guerrillero (see Appendix A).

14. "The Media Memory Agenda and the Struggle against Holocaust Deniers"

by Isaac Hershkowitz

in: Frédéric Clavert (ed.), Contemporary History in the Digital Age (Brussels: Peter Lang, forthcoming). [co-authored with Dr. Tsuriel Rashi]

Restor(y)ing lives: autobiographical reflection and perspective transformation in adults returning to study

by Jennifer K Miles

Throughout the course of our lives we are at times presented with the opportunity to reflect on our learning, to... more Throughout the course of our lives we are at times presented with the opportunity to reflect on our learning, to consider the experiences, the people and the environments that have contributed to the shaping of our sense of self, and to the expectation we subsequently have of ourselves and our future capacity. Nelson (1994) suggests we have the potential to transform our perspective if we have been enabled to explore the schemas woven into the fabric of our self-identity and to consider the impact this brings to bear on our life and learning. He speaks of the autobiographically reflective process as coming to imagine a future previously unknown.
This small-scale study, in one Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute, examines the process and self-articulated outcomes of five participants in a qualitative, narrative based inquiry, investigating the capacity of autobiographical reflection to promote perspective transformation in adults returning to study within the context of vocational education and training. Drawing predominantly on the work of Brookfield (2005), Mezirow (2000), Freire (1972b), Shor (1992), Cranton (1994), Frankl (1964) and Rogers (1980), it explores the personal and social dimensions of meaning-making, identifying the role of critical reflection in transforming learners’ perspectives as they come to critique the power relationships and hegemonic assumptions that have influenced their construction of self-identity. Utilising a storytelling methodology, the thesis honours the narrative tradition in weaving the process and findings of the study through the stories of the participants as they dance on the edge of their knowing (Berger, 2004).
Through undertaking an autobiographically reflective process that included individual interviews and a focus group, participants were ultimately able to articulate a sense of meaning making that enabled the construction of a foundation on which a new future – a new story - might be built. Recommendations have been made around further investigation of the implications of these limited findings as they relate to the potentially greater social benefits of individual perspective transformation.

Mobile Multimedia: Reflections from Ten Years of Practice

by Jonathan Bowen

Silvia Filippini-Fantoni (London South Bank University) and Jonathan P. Bowen. In Loïc Tallon and Kevin Walker (eds.), Digital Technologies and the Museum Experience: Handheld Guides and Other Media, pages 79-96. AltaMira Press, 2008.

See also: http://www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/items/19385D8F-E893-267A-33DD-20742D8A4F8B.html

In the past decade, museums have experienced a revolution with the arrival of new technologies, capable of enhancing... more In the past decade, museums have experienced a revolution with the arrival of new technologies, capable of enhancing their visitors’ experiences by introducing multimedia content. Amid these new technologies, website and computer-based interactives in the gallery have augmented exhibitions to provide additional educational material. However, the web is mainly suitable for access to information before, after or often even instead of visiting an exhibition or museum. A kiosk provides a physically fixed facility that can be used during a visit to an exhibition, but only for part of it generally. In contrast, a multimedia tour delivered through a handheld device allows the visitor to gain information at any point during the visit and in any order, without interfering with the aesthetics of the gallery. This means it has some unique properties that could be beneficial, if used suitably.

Jesus, the true interpreter of Torah: a look at Matthew 11:25-30

by Israel Díaz

This essay is one of four assignments written for a graduate course I completed on the Gospel of Matthew in the spring of 2011.

This essay explores the function of Matthew 11:25-30 within its literary context.  In doing so it illustrates how... more This essay explores the function of Matthew 11:25-30 within its literary context.  In doing so it illustrates how the passage functions as the climax to Matthew's argument concerning Jesus’ role as the true interpreter of Torah.

On the Experientiality of Stories: A Follow-up on David Herman's “Narrative Theory and the Intentional Stance”

by Marco Caracciolo

To appear in Partial Answers.

J. M. Coetzee's Foe and the Embodiment of Meaning

by Marco Caracciolo

To appear in Journal of Modern Literature.

The last, five pages long chapter of J. M. Coetzee's Foe is well known for its impenetrability. In my article, I... more The last, five pages long chapter of J. M. Coetzee's Foe is well known for its impenetrability. In my article, I attempt to deal with these interpretive difficulties by taking a step backwards and regarding the chapter as a metafictional allegory for the reader's making sense of the novel itself. I also argue that these pages seem to be centrally concerned with the embodiment of the narrating character (on my account, a fictional counterpart of the reader). Thus, drawing on recent work in cognitive linguistics, I put forward the following hypothesis: Coetzee's novel lays bare the embodied nature of meaning-making, showing that interpretation is grounded in patterns of bodily interaction with an environment similar to those traced by the narrator of these pages.

Narrative, Meaning, Interpretation: An Enactivist Approach

by Marco Caracciolo

To appear in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, DOI 10.1007/s11097-011-9216-0.

After establishing its roots in basic forms of sensorimotor coupling between an organism and its environment, the new... more After establishing its roots in basic forms of sensorimotor coupling between an organism and its environment, the new wave in cognitive science known as "enactivism" has turned to higher-level cognition, in an attempt to prove that even socioculturally mediated meaning-making processes can be accounted for in enactivist terms. My article tries to bolster this case by focusing on how the production and interpretation of stories can shape the value landscape of those who engage with them. First, it builds on the idea that narrative plays a key role in expressing the values held by a society, in order to argue that the interpretation of stories cannot be understood in abstraction from the Background of storytelling in which we are always already involved. Second, it presents interpretation as an example of what Di Paolo, Rohde, and De Jaegher (2010) have called in their recent enactivist manifesto a "joint process of sense-making": just like in face-to-face interaction, the recipient of the story collaborates with the authorial point of view, generating meaning. Third, it traces the meaning brought into the world by interpretation to the activation and, potentially, the restructuring of the Background of the recipients of the story.

Understanding Misreading: A Hermeneutic-Deconstructive Approach

by José Angel García Landa

Published in 'The Pragmatics of Understanding and Misunderstanding'. Ed. Beatriz Penas. Zaragoza: Universidad de Zaragoza, 1998. 57-72.

This paper puts forward a conception of specialised literary criticism, more specifically deconstructive readings, as... more This paper puts forward a conception of specialised literary criticism, more specifically deconstructive readings, as a mode of communicative interaction which can be described through a pragmalinguistic account. Schleiermacher's conception of the hermeneutic circle provides an adequate bridge between literary criticism and speech production, once we attend to the possible developments of the theory of the hermeneutic circle understanding it as both a temporal process, and an interactional one. This paper, therefore, presents for the purpose of comparison several critical conceptions originating in different schools and dealing with a range of objects of study in criticism. The comparison yields a common element whose outline becomes gradually visible as we proceed, as each of these conceptions (hermeneutics, deconstruction, modernist aesthetics, pragmalinguistics...) brings out aspects which are implicit in the others. This exercise might be compared to the drawing of lines between stars to form a constellation, allowing us to see a previously invisible figure. The lines in constellations may seem too insubstantial as a term of comparison, but the paper will go some length towards the deconstruction of the clear-cut opposition between what is substantial and what is constructed by the imagination, at least as far as the field of interpretive theory is concerned. The thread connecting the critical approaches examined here is the retrsopective rereading of a narrative and its hermeneutic consequences. These consequences might be summarized by saying that the passing of time alters everything, even the past itself, once so safely stored.

Review of Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry (Carol Berkenkotter). Review of Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry (Carol Berkenkotter).

by Riki Thompson

Thompson, R. (2011). Review of Patient Tales: Case Histories and the Uses of Narrative in Psychiatry (Carol Berkenkotter).  JAC: A Journal of Composition Theory. 30 (1/2). 381-385.

Agency, Determinism, Focal Time Frames, and Narrative in Processive Minimalist Music

by Joshua B. Mailman

To appear as Chapter 6 of the book:
Music and Narrative Since 1900.
Michael Klein and Nicholas Reyland, (Eds.) Indiana University Press. Forthcoming in November 2012.
http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?cPath=1037_3025_3988&products_id=806644