Crystal Stone Literature Review

Crystal Stone
EDAC 634 Conflict Resolution in the Workplace through Narrative Learning

Narrative Learning Literature Review

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Crystal Stone

Introduction:

Narrative learning has a long and deep tradition in all world cultures. Oral histories have been passed down for thousands of years and have formed the basis of cultures, their traditions and beliefs for just as long. A narrative, as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is "a story or description of actual or fictional events; or the act, technique or process of narrating." Narrative learning has experienced an upsurge of research and application in various disciplines, such as adult learning theory and conflict resolution. The opportunity for individuals to share their stories has been implemented as a valuable conflict resolution technique in everything from classrooms and the workplace to world peace talks. 

While there are many applications and theories of Narrative learning, there are some strong themes in the literature. One of the most important is to remember that, depending on how it is approached, narrative can be constructive or destructive. No matter how they are told narratives all share common traits. Through the use of narrative, experience is tied to learning and can create the framework for deeper understanding and appreciation of a topic or subject.

Through the review of the literature we see how these themes are intertwined and what those implications are for narrative learning and managing conflict or difficult conversations.

General Themes:

One of the first and most important themes is that narrative can be both constructive and destructive depending on how it used. Called “Strategic Provocation”, using narrative to sway others to the individuals’ way of thinking or justify actions is a common action of world leaders. In How to Start a War: Eight Cases of Strategic Provocation the authors explain, “At their most basic, these narrative operations are premised upon enduring brinkmanship between two opposing forces that are usually intent on securing sovereignty or land, often despite popular distaste for violence. Provocation occurs because an aggressor sees the need to develop a narrative justifying his own unpalatable, violent intentions. And while a zeitgeist of animosity may haunt both parties of an argument, provocation operations are deliberately planned to trigger a climax of violence that would not occur without some devilry. And – in the most devilish cases – a leader sacrifices some of his own people.” A prime example of this is the rise of Nazi ideology in Germany. The rhetoric and narrative of Hitler swayed many of his countrymen to go against what most would consider basic moral conventions, and others to do nothing. In a study Narrative method in evaluation of students’ transformative learning in peace and conflict resolution program the author points out that “It can be destructive if members of organizations do not share power, information and resources to address students’ needs”.

Narrative and stories all share similar traits. Dan McAdams, a psychologist and narrative researcher tells us that all narratives have the same five components: setting, characters, plot, climax and denouement (or ending). The story begins, builds to a resolution and ends. This consistency in all narratives establishes expectations in the teller and listener. In Narrative Learning in Adulthood the authors show that there are also three distinct areas of learning. Through hearing stories, the listener is receiving and must interpret the story. This interpretation is a deeply human undertaking. Telling the story requires the narrator to become the actor, and causes them to make a connection between themselves and the listener. The third element is recognizing stories. ” The third element, recognizing stories, is more abstract. It presumes that learners begin to understand the fundamental narrative character of experience. As they gain understanding, they also begin to understand that they themselves are narratively constituted and narratively positioned; this applies to themselves personally, as well as to groups, societies, and cultures.” (Clark, Rossiter 65)

Another consistent theme of narrative is that learning through narrative is ties to experience. Learning is essentially the process of trying to make sense of things and the world around us. Narrative learning offers us a new way to think about how learning occurs and provides the learner with a deep link to their own experiences. Projects like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Oral History Refugee Project both use the experiences of individuals to help bridge the gap between victim and perpetrator. Shared experiences help peacebuilding activities between refugees and or their descendants. 

Finally Narrative learning can from a framework for learning to occur. Narrative learning can improve both retention and understanding of a topic by relating it back to their own personal experiences or understanding how an experience could occur or feel. 

Implications:

There are many implications to adult learning and conflict resolution to be found in the literature. One of the first things is to ensure that, when conducting a narrative learning activity, all participants share power information and resources. When there is a power imbalance, such as in a boss/subordinate relationship, or if information is not shared equally, such as in a student/instructor relationship, then the use of narrative may not be successful and could actually be destructive. 

It is important for learners to recognize when they are being exposed to a narrative as well, and for facilitators to understand the purpose of using the narrative. People enjoy stories, which is why we continue to share them. For narrative learning to occur however it is important to have a purpose behind the story and a clear goal in mind. Telling stories for the sake of telling them can be distracting and actually lead learners away or confuse them. 

When bringing together learners of different backgrounds, it is important to bring learners experiences into the narrative. Learning is linked to learners experiences and by sharing those experiences through narrative, people can begin to find common ground. Narrative is also a powerful framework for learning. Storytelling and narrative have been used for so many generations because it works. Initially people may not have intentionally realized that learning was occurring, but over time, researchers have developed well thought out theories and frameworks for using narrative to develop a depth of learning not achieved through other forms of learning. Narrative learning enables the learner to internalize the information and it is often connected to emotion, which improves retention and understanding.

Reflection:

Through the process of reviewing the various articles on narrative learning I was almost overwhelmed by how many areas and practices are impacted by narrative learning. People tell stories on a daily basis and we hear them daily as well. Most people may not realize that they are conducting a learning activity by both telling and hearing the stories around us. 

Table:

	The main themes	Implications (How to apply the main ideas in practice)
Theme 1:	Narrative can be constructive or destructive.	Framing the discussion to ensure that participants share power, information and resources.
Theme 2:	Stories all share similar traits	It is important to understand the desired outcome and purpose of the narrative. What is the goal of the story?
Theme 3:	Learning is linked to experience	A learners experiences can be linked through narrative
Theme 4:	Narratives create the framework for learning.	Creating the framework can tie everything together

Works Cited

Clark, Carolyn. Rossiter, Marsha. (2008) Narrative Learning in Adulthood. New Directions for Adult Continuing Education,  v119, p. 61-70

Maddox, J.D. (2016). How to Start a War: Eight Cases of Strategic Provocation. Narrative and Conflict: Explorations in Theory and Practice, 3(1), p. 66-109. Retrieved from http://journals.gmu.edu/NandC/issue/view/195

McAdams, D.P. The Stories We Live By (New York: The Guilford Press, 1993)

Thuna, J. a. (2013). Tell Me a Story: The Use of Narrative as a Tool. American Library Association. Indianapolis IN: ALA.

Tursunova, Zulfiya. (2013). Narrative method in evaluation of students’ transformative learning in peace and conflict resolution program. pp.131-144.