Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

Narrative inquiry is the study of human lived experience portrayed through engaging, meaningful, and personal stories. Narrative inquirers believe that "stories are the portal through which a person enters the world and by which their experience of the world is interpreted and made personally meaningful" (Connelly & Oandinin, 2006, p. 375). According to Polkinghorne (1988), humans live in three realms: the material realm, the organic realm, and the realm of meaning. He posits that the realm of meaning as structured according to narrative form is one of the most important forms for creating meaning in human existence (p. 183). While many interpretivist researchers collect or construct stories about those they are studying, narrative researchers tend to "embrace the assumption that the story is one if not the fundamental unit that accounts for human experience" (Pinnegar & Daynes, 2007, p. 4). The telling of stories has many different purposes to inform, remember, argue, justify, persuade, engage, entertain, or even to mislead (Reissman & Speedy, 2007). Telling stories can also function to empower, to create a sense of solidarity, and to enhance psychological stability and health.