Digging Deeper: Narrative Identity Theory

In my previous post I shared a little about how stories can have impact in the real world. Today I want to go a little deeper into that idea.

While working on a paper for one of my seminary classes, I was introduced to something called narrative identity theory. This theory says that stories are “among the most important means by which people articulate and clarify their sense of [the world].”ⁱ

We connect events together to form stories to help our lives make sense, stringing memories together in the way that a novelist arranges chapters.ⁱⁱ

On the individual level, narrative identity theory is the identity we construct through the stories we tell about ourselves. A man named Paul Ricoeur did a lot of work in this area. He believed that the development of one’s narrative identity is influenced by shared cultural symbols.ⁱⁱⁱ Similar to the way a movie script might draw on certain tropes or pre-existing formats (romantic comedies are often variations of the same story, for example), humans create their own self stories with help from preexisting narratives. These narratives may be formed by politicians, the media, social activists, and others. Not everyone follows the same script, but the plot lines written by culture do have an impact on our lives.

Narrative identity theory says narratives don’t only shape individuals, but institutions and organizations as well. Institutionally, narrative identity shapes public policy and law, and can impact people’s lives in significant ways. Narratives associated with various groups like “poor people,” “single mothers,” or “refugees” affect whether people in these groups are seen to be deserving of help or deserving of condemnation. These stories influence the policy making process, as those in power make decisions that fit preexisting scripts about who is worthy of help. For example, if scripts written about welfare recipients paint them as deserving, members of Congress are more likely to support programs assisting poor people.^iv

Institutional narrative identity can also prevent those who are impacted by policy from being heard by decision makers. If policymakers already view a population as being unworthy or untruthful, people from that group may not be allowed to participate in the decision-making process. When people are asked to participate, they may be chosen because their stories match the agenda of the person who is asking. Narratives may be used to justify social inequality.^v

Similarly, in order to receive assistance from an organization, a person may need to fit the identity constructed by the organization and tell the story that matches a pre-written script. For example, JoNel Newman writes that in order for social security disability claims to be successful, lawyers may need to make their client’s stories fit into a “master narrative.” People who have disabilities are expected to have a certain story (one of helplessness, for example), and in order to receive governmental assistance, they must fit the script of what a person with a disability is “supposed to” be like. Newman notes that this process in itself can be disabling.^vi

But if narratives can justify social inequality, or serve to demean groups of people, they can also be used to empower and change things for the better. Identity narratives are not a given. They are written by people, and therefore can be rewritten by them.^vii

Changing narratives can impact beliefs and actions. Transforming the narratives about people who are experiencing poverty, people who are refugees, or other groups on the margins, can impact the lives of individuals in these groups. Therefore, rewriting stories is an important part of helping neighbors love each other. At the same time, it is important to remember that people are people, not characters to be written into a story to achieve a certain end. Storytellers must be aware of the scripts they believe, and not force people to fit into a certain mold.

The stories we tell have real consequences in the real world. The things I discovered while learning about narrative identity theory help shape my approach to storytelling. I’ll be sharing more about what shapes my writing later!

Sources:

iCrites, Stephen D. “Narrative Quality of Experience.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 39, no. 3 (September 1971): 291-311

ii Crites, Stephen D. “Narrative Quality of Experience.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 39, no. 3 (September 1971): 291–311.

iiiEzzy, Douglas. “Theorizing Narrative Identity: Symbolic Interactionism and Hermeneutics.” The Sociological Quarterly, no. 2 (1998): 239.

ivLoseke, Donileen R. “The Study of Identity as Cultural, Institutional, Organizational, and Personal Narratives: Theoretical and Empirical Integrations.” The Sociological Quarterly 48, no. 4 (2007): 661–88.

vLoseke, Donileen R. “The Study of Identity as Cultural, Institutional, Organizational, and Personal Narratives: Theoretical and Empirical Integrations.” The Sociological Quarterly 48, no. 4 (2007): 661–88.

viNewman, JoNel. “Identity and Narrative: Turning Oppression into Client Empowerment in Social Security Disability Cases.” Albany Law Review 79, no. 2 (n.d.): 373–402.

viiSalamon, Janusz. “Conflict of Identity Narratives and Inclusive Language of Global Ethics.” Annual of Language & Politics & Politics of Identity, no. 8 (January 2014): 5–22.