Ezohn Smith Literature Review

Narrative Learning Literature Review

EDAC 634

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Ezohn Smith

Introduction

Narratives are used to communicate one’s experience to others and make meaning of it. The concept of narrative learning is not new. It is one of the earliest forms of communication, as it predates writing. Narratives are rooted in culture, identity and society. Narrative learning views an adult’s experiences “as an unfolding story, one constructed and interpreted by the individual” (Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner, 2007). The application of narrative learning theory can be effective as it creates opportunities for reflection, self-identity and mean-making. Narratives “enable us to make sense of our experience” which is the primary purpose of adult learning (Merriam et al, 2007).

Narrative adult learning has become increasingly popular since the early 1990’s. All adults have a narrative that connects them to personal experience. Adult learning places an emphasis on life’s experiences, what they mean and how they contribute to personal growth. Narrative learning is a “vehicle for learning” as adults seek to make meaning of the past and equip themselves for the future (Merriam, et al, 2007).

I will present four themes gathered from resources about narrative leaning. The first theme is that narratives limit the kinds of stories being told by adults. The second is that narratives share a link between embodied and transformational learning. The third is that narratives have the potential to be influenced by magical realism. The final theme is that narratives may be shared among a group of people. This is referred to as the fantasy metanarrative.

Themes

Limits of narratives

Narratives are potentially limited to telling one kind of story. Many narratives have the potential to fall into the same category. Many are structured to include a protagonist, antagonist, problem and successful outcome. Adult learners are often instructed to revisit an experience in the past and discuss the steps they took to become triumphant. This is referred to as valorization. Michelson (2011) states “for all our valorizing of individuality and uniqueness there are only some stories we allow to be told and only some forms of selfhood we allow to emerge in the process of telling them (p.5). Michelson believes adult narratives should be free form plots and norms, if they are to be deemed true representations of an experience (p.10). The traditional use of the word “then” is referred to as a “moment of insight that was initiated by and situated within the practices of adult learning” (p.11). Michelson argues that adult narratives traditionally presume achievement, therefore lack truth.

Narrative as a source of healing

The belief that healing takes place during narrative learning is another theme that emerges. Merriam, Caffarella, and Baumgartner (2007) state that narrative learning and transformative learning have strong links (p.213). Tobin and Tisdell (2015) refer to a qualitative narrative study that examined creative writers. They compared the results to that of a prism because “on the surface each rainbow appears to have the same range of colors, but a closer look reveals intimate variations” (p. 221). One may assume that all narratives are the same. A skillset including being attentive, active listening and prompting questions is necessary to provide adults with healing opportunities during the narrative process.

Narrative learning linked to embodied and transformative learning

Embodied learning is believed to be linked to narrative learning.  One of the participants in the study Tobin and Tisdell (2015) conducted attested to this. The participant, Dave, makes the statement “I know down to my ribs” (p.225). This alludes to the connection between his writing process and his emotions, senses and physical body. Dave also stated that when he is immersed in an embodied learning experience, he arrives “somewhere unexpected” (p.225). The awareness of his body contributes to Dave’s mean making. This awareness can result in further transformative experiences depending on the significance one chooses to assign to it.

Magical Realism

Magical Realism is discussed in Adult Education Quarterly 63 (2012) by Michelson. Michelson defines the subject of typical adult learning literature as “individuals for whom life has not quite come together” (p.201). The author then proceeds to define magical realism. According to Michelson, “magical realism makes the claim that is what is ordinary in one cultural or historical circumstance is fantastic in another, and vice versa, a claim that has both political and epistemological implications” (p.201). This concept “has a clear relationship both to the experiences of marginalized peoples and to the historical record (p.208). In summation, the story conveyed by history may not reflect the true story of a people or culture. Magical realism suggests that facts will never prove a claim. One will never know the full truth of the matter. Magical realism could easily influence adult narrative, if it is not considered.

Fantasy Metanarratives

Coryell, J. E., Clark, M. C., & Pomerantz, A (2010) discuss the findings of Cultural Fantasy Narratives among Adult Heritage Learners of Spanish. Fantasy metanarratives derive from Ernest G. Bormann. Metanarratives “pertain to shared interpretations of events that fulfill a group’s psychological need” (p.2). The findings suggested that Spanish speaking women who identified themselves as Tex-Mex deemed speaking “proper Spanish” important. The women had diverse backgrounds, yet their narratives of speaking Spanish were in unison. They all had a sense of what was culturally proper for women in Texas and speaking Spanish. This is an example of how group identification contributes to one’s narrative.

Implications

Narratives have the potential of being formatted using the familiar structure protagonist, antagonist, problem and successful outcome. The adult facilitator must provide options during narrative exercises. A facilitator can provide opportunities for adult learners to engage in a new experience by posing the audience with presenting a narrative that does not include an outcome. The presentation can include a challenge they are encountering. Questions can be directed to prompt responses that include past reflections and potential, future outcomes. This adds a creative spin to the traditional narrative and offers reflection differently. Adults can discuss and narrate on who they want to become.

Healing can take place with a narrative. A facilitator can provide the audience with a learning experience to heal. The term heal differs to everyone, so this must be considered. One strategy to infuse this is having adult learners construct a narrative directed at the adversary creating imbalance in their lives. The narrative can be recited when the adult believes they are facing the challenge. The learning environment may be deemed a place of healing to encourage participation by interested adults.

Narrative leaning is linked to embodied and transformative learning. A facilitator can encourage adult learners to seek connections between embodied, transformative and narrative learning. This strategy can be applied by encouraging adults to examine their narratives, retrace their actions, remember their emotions and how they felt physically. The facilitator can encourage journaling to identify physiological variances in the tone of one’s narrative.

Magical realism affects personal and group narratives. A facilitator must be prepared to hear, read and respond to narratives that he or she may not agree with. The narrative may not coincide with popular belief nor what is deemed as factual in society. Adults must be allowed to write from their own perspectives. They must also believe the environment is safe. The facilitator has the responsibility of creating and maintaining a safe environment and being open to interpretation.  

Reflection

This assignment significant because it provided me with different views of narrative learning. I initially accepted the pros of narrative learning without assigning weight to the cons. I know have a perspective on how narrative learning can be skewed and present challenges if this is the only theory applied.

 I enjoyed reviewing the contrasting opinions of the authors. This experience has provided me with an opportunity to review readings I may have not otherwise selected. I now understand the concepts of shared narrations and magical realism. Finally, this information provides me with a foundation of learning and a means to contribute to my team’s success.

	The main themes (The ideas summarized from the literature)	Implications (How to apply the main ideas in practice)
Theme 1:	Narratives only allow some stories to be told	Structure narratives to have open endings, problem does not need to be solved at the end
Theme 2:	The link between embodied and transformative learning	Provide opportunities for adults to identify changes of multiple facets in their lives stemming from one action
Theme 3:	Narratives provide a sense of healing	Include opportunities for reflection and connection to embodiment
Theme 4:	Meta Narratives (Shared Narratives) can be created due to beliefs of societal groups and symbolic convergence	Reflect on adult’s view within society, symbolic convergence and individual awareness

Resources

Michelson, E. (2013). If the Self Is a Text, What Genre Is It? Structure and Ideology in Narratives of Adult Learning. Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal Of Research And Theory, 63(3), 199-214. 

Coryell, J. E., Clark, M. C., & Pomerantz, A. (2010). Cultural Fantasy Narratives and Heritage Language Learning: A Case Study of Adult Heritage Learners of Spanish. Modern Language Journal, 94(3), 453-469.

Foote, L. S. (2015). Transformational Learning: Reflections of an Adult Learning Story. Adult Learning, 26(2), 84-86.

Michelson, E. (2011). Autobiography and Selfhood in the Practice of Adult Learning. Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal Of Research And Theory, 61(1), 3-21.

Tobin, J. A., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). "I Know Down to My Ribs": A Narrative Research Study on the Embodied Adult Learning of Creative Writers. Adult Education Quarterly: A Journal Of Research And Theory, 65(3), 215-231.