This book illustrates the link that unites memory, thought, and narration, and explores how the act of telling helps people to understand themselves and others. The structure of the book is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the aspect of narrative comprehension-the person as narrator. It identifies two different origins of narrative comprehension (memory and play) and argues that the narratives we produce starting from autobiographical memory are intended to give order and meaning to events that happened in the past, in order to be able to interpret the present. Conversely, the narratives we produce starting from play are aesthetically constructed, not forced to respect reality, and because of this create potential new worlds of understanding. The second part of this book is devoted to the study of narrative understanding as an understanding of the other. Chapters examine the different points of view a listener can adopt in order to interpret the text produced by a narrator and how these points of view can interact with each other. The book concludes with a consideration of narrative comprehension in the digital world, and examines the principal effects of stories and narrative on the notion of self in the realm of the "Internet galaxy." Telling to Understand will be of interest to researchers and students in cognitive science, psychology, literary studies, philosophy, education, and educational technology, as well as any reader interested in enlarging their concept of narrative and how narrating modifies the self.

This book illustrates the link that unites memory, thought, and narration, and explores how the act of telling helps people to understand themselves and others. The structure of the book is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the aspect of narrative comprehension-the person as narrator. It identifies two different origins of narrative comprehension (memory and play) and argues that the narratives we produce starting from autobiographical memory are intended to give order and meaning to events that happened in the past, in order to be able to interpret the present. Conversely, the narratives we produce starting from play are aesthetically constructed, not forced to respect reality, and because of this create potential new worlds of understanding. The second part of this book is devoted to the study of narrative understanding as an understanding of the other. Chapters examine the different points of view a listener can adopt in order to interpret the text produced by a narrator and how these points of view can interact with each other. The book concludes with a consideration of narrative comprehension in the digital world, and examines the principal effects of stories and narrative on the notion of self in the realm of the "Internet galaxy." Telling to Understand will be of interest to researchers and students in cognitive science, psychology, literary studies, philosophy, education, and educational technology, as well as any reader interested in enlarging their concept of narrative and how narrating modifies the self.

This book stems primarily from the intention to make public the seminar entitled "Narratives and Cultural Psychology" held by J. Bruner and C. Feldman in May 2000 in Florence. This seminar represents the point of view of these two authors, at an important moment in their scientific and human careers, on two themes: narratives and interpretative communities. The central concept on which this book works is the Aristotelian concept of peripeteia which, born in the world of art, is developed by Bruner in the field of cognitive and cultural psychology and by Feldman in the concept of interpretative community. Thus the first purpose of this book is to analyze the role and usefulness of this concept in the study of the world of stories and culture The second aim of this book is to explain, clarify and comment on the concept, the theoretical assumptions and the key words used by the two authors, while also exploring the issues addressed. In this way, the author wanted to reflect on what contribution this seminar offers today to the theme of narratives and cultural psychology and what the future prospects might be. This book is aimed at students and scholars interested in exploring the role that stories play in human culture.