Narrative competence and constructive developmental theory: A proposal for rewriting theBildungsroman in the postmodern world

Abstract

Some of the chief characteristics of the narrative psychology of Bruner, Polkinghorne, Sarbin, Freeman, Howard, and White and Epston are outlined with implications for therapy discussed. Narrative psychology is then related to some current models of adult development, including those of Kegan, Perry, Belenky, Labouvie-Vief, Levinson, Basseches, and PascualLeone. Types of narrative competence are discussed and an argument is made that developmental readiness for narrative must be considered if narrative approaches are going to be applied. Different types of narrative approaches are shown to be indicative of particular developmental stages. The social relativism of narrative psychology is addressed and it is argued that developmental models provide a scheme for assessing the maturity of alternative narrative constructions.

Kompetencja narracyjna w biegu życia człowieka

“…Przyjmuje się, że zmiana narracji (tj. stworzenie nowej, bardziej spójnej lub wyczerpującej opowieści w miejsce poprzedniej) może być potwierdzeniem zachodzącego rozwoju (Freeman, 1993;Irwin, 1996). Kompetencja narracyjna może podlegać rozwojowi zarówno w codzienności, jak i w ramach zorganizowanych zajęć edukacyjnych (np.…”

A Narrative Approach to Development: Implications for Adult Education

“…The temporal quality of narrative suggests bidirectional interactions among past, present, and future, rather than a unidirectional relationship in which what happened in the past "caused" the present. Irwin (1996) describes the past, present, and future of the narrative self: "The past is based on our sifted, selected, and continuously reconstructed memories; the present unfolds in a nonlinear and multidimensionally sequencing; the future is an imaginative projection based upon our purposes, goals, and fictions" (p. 111).…”

Enhancing Postgraduate Taught Students’ Engagement

“…We use stories to convey information, impart knowledge, and inspire creativity (Garcia & Rossiter, 2010). People story their events in order to give them significance and make sense of their lives by employing their acts and the sequences of the events (Irwin, 1996). When utilised wisely and effectively, storytelling can be a promising pedagogical strategy in higher education.…”