NARRATIVES

Throughout the readings by Walter Fisher, “Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument” and “The Narrative paradigm: An Elaboration,” there were several reoccurring themes that I feel are important to address. They are: what is narration, what is a paradigm, and what makes a narrative paradigm.

Fisher explains that the act of narration is a symbolic action. Narration is a set of words that have sequence and meaning for people to interpret; narration is storytelling. An example of narration in interpersonal communications would be a student explaining to a teacher why he/she was unable to turn in their assignment on time. This specific example would be an example of narrative apologia.

In Fisher’s words, a paradigm is a, “conceptual framework.” A successful paradigm calls for people (an audience) to view a specific set of events through the same lens. By having one common lens, the entire audience will interpret an event in the same manner.

A narrative paradigm is basically a theory that Fisher created. This theory states that all meaningful communication is done through the channel of storytelling. Fisher taught that all forms of communication are best viewed as stories shaped by history and culture. This would mean that all human communication should essentially be looked as narrative stories.

Within the narrative paradigm exist two principles, coherence and fidelity. Coherence refers to sense-making and the effectiveness of the narrative, while fidelity refers to how relatable the narrative is.

As I read through these two readings, I found myself coming back to two thoughts: When am I not communicating through a narrative and when has a narrative greatly influenced my life.

When I am teaching my COMM 2110 Interpersonal Communications class, I often use narratives to explain a concept. However, I do not feel that all of the communication between myself and my students comes through the form of narratives. When stating facts or definitions, there is little to no narration used. It is a statement lacking tradition narrative elements. But when I explain the theory in greater detail or apply it to real-life situations, this is almost always done in the form a narrative.

The single most influential narrative on my life has undoubtedly been that of religion. I grew up hearing stories first, about the life of Jesus Christ, and then, about the life and work of Joseph Smith. These narratives have continually inspired me to live my life a certain way, serve an LDS mission, and now, raise my own children delivering these same narratives. When I think back to my time as a missionary, utilizing the missionary guidebook, “Preach My Gospel,” I taught others almost solely through narrative form. I did this (and still do within my family) under the belief that I was helping others, “come unto Christ.” The opposite of “coming unto Christ” in this narrative would be that those who don’t are going elsewhere, probably a type of hell.

This study of narration and the narrative paradigm was almost alarming to me. It has caused me to think deeper about how powerful a tool a widely-accepted narrative can be. It causes me to wonder if I should be using these same narratives with others, or if I should let them construct their own. But without a doubt, it can be said that a good narrative is a very powerful and persuasive rhetorical tool.