Narrative Analysis

Policies and programs can be understood as practices constituted by narratives. Narratives serve psychological, cultural, social, and political functions. People tell stories to find out what happened and what this means for their role and (group or national) identity. Stories are directed to others and told to influence actions and social practices. Program participants will, for example, try to convince others of their point of view with the use of rhetorical devices, such as metaphors. This means that a practice is shaped by the communication between storytellers and their narratives. In this process, certain stories and voices will be taken seriously and lead to changes, and others will gain no hearing. As such, narrating is a political act.

Stories told and enacted in practice can be ...