Narrative analysis workshop

AIM ran a workshop on narrative analysis. Since my 3rd party monitor mentioned it, I thought it worth attending. It was more useful than the OUBS lunch time seminars have been for a while because the several professors round the table were so approachable and interested in the work of the students there. They also made narrative analysis seem simpler and easier than I'd thought it.

Ruth Wodak related genre to communities of practice, explained intertextuality (elements of other texts incorporated into a text, such as phrases or quotes) and illustrated analysis with stories. What was particularly helpful was her deconstruction of narrative with drawouts such as

"constructing contrast between expectations and experience".

She also had a helpful table with column headings on elements of oral narrative, function and example. Elements included:

• abstract
• orientation
• complicating action
• evaluation
• result or resolution
• coda

As we discussed someone else's work later she pointed out, "there's the coda!", which made the analysis so much easier.

I'll try to apply some of this as I write up my first case study in detail.