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Our everyday lives are enmeshed in storytelling: the stories we
tell about our memories, the people we know, and the world we
inhabit; those we tell about our families and communities; and the
narratives we encounter in books, movies, and television. Narrative
structures how we view ourselves and everything around us. In The
Narrative Complexity of Ordinary Life, William L. Randall shows how
concepts central to the study of narrative psychology-such as
narrative development and the interrelation between narrative and
identity, cognition, and development-are integral to everyday life.
He makes the case that all people function as narrative
psychologists by continually storying their lives in memory and
imagination, as well as speculating on the stories that others may
be living, a process that Randall refers to as storyotyping.
Relying heavily on narrative, Randall draws from experiences in his
own life to illustrate various concepts in narrative psychology.
Randall's inquiry also takes him to the topics of gossip, rumor,
and the narrative complexity of nostalgia. He contemplates the
storied nature of the news, and by extension, history. Randall
discusses the nature of spirituality and religion as "master
narratives." He also draws upon the work of Dan McAdams to discuss
how the stories people internalize and tell to others reveal a
great deal about the way in which they interpret and experience the
world around them, ultimately arguing that the recurring themes in
people's lives shape their personalities.
Many of us have particular things in our lives – photographs,
paintings, old letters, books, furniture, jewellery, or clothing
– that hold special meaning for us. Often, they correspond to
pivotal memories and can be central to our sense of self and our
life narratives, all the more so as we age. Things that Matter
sheds important light on the intricate intertwining of mementos
with stories – and vice versa – in most people’s lives. The
book explores the significance of cherished objects within the life
stories of nine participants in a qualitative study of the links
between reminiscence and resilience in later life. The researchers
who conducted the study represent a variety of fields, from
gerontology to social work to ministry, and from nursing to
literature to education. The book details how these stories can be
fraught with a wide range of insights and questions from the
memories that get stirred up as people embark on the process of
"life review" prompted by the challenges and changes of aging.
Shedding light on the complex emotional, psychological, and
spiritual findings of the study, Things that Matter ultimately
reveals the intricacy of personal narrative and the incredible ways
in which things and stories are interwoven in our lives over time.
In its brief but vigorous history, gerontology has spawned a
broadening range of specializations. One of the newest of such
specializations is narrative gerontology, so named for its emphasis
on the biographical, or inside, dimensions of the experience of
aging.
Telling stories about our world, our relationships, and ourselves
is fundamental to how we make meaning. Everything from our history
to our religion and our memories to our emotions is linked to the
tales we tell ourselves, and others, about where we have come from
and where we are going. They are central to who we are.
The biographical side of human life is every bit as critical to
fathom as the biological side, if we seek a more balanced,
positive, and optimistic perspective on what aging is about; if we
would honor the dignity and complexity, the humanity and uniqueness
of the lives of older persons, no matter what their health or
economic standing. In this respect, a narrative approach is
particularly suited to the exploration of such topics as meaning,
spirituality, and wisdom, and the connections they share.
This volume reflects a selection of new directions and insights,
and constitutes a general broadening and deepening of narrative
gerontology, exploring its implications for theory and research in
the field of aging, and for the quality of life of older adults
themselves. Such deepening indicates a greater refinement of
thought, method, and intervention. The evolution of narrative
gerontology is also evidenced by a significant increase in the
number of faculty and graduate students engaged in research in this
area, as well as by increasing collaboration among researchers,
practitioners, and administrators in applying narrative insights to
contexts such as long term care - indeed, healthcare in general.
These initiatives have given rise to the phrase, "narrative care as
core care."
Against the background of Socrates' insight that the unexamined
life is not worth living, Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing
Old investigates the often overlooked inside dimensions of aging.
Despite popular portrayals of mid- and later life as entailing
inevitable decline, this book looks at aging as, potentially, a
process of poiesis: a creative endeavor of fashioning meaning from
the ever-accumulating texts - memories and reflections-that
constitute our inner worlds. At its center is the conviction that
although we are constantly reading our lives to some degree anyway,
doing so in a mindful matter is critical to our development in the
second half of life.
Drawing on research in numerous disciplines affected by the
so-called narrative turn - including cognitive psychology,
neuroscience, and the psychology of aging - authors Randall and
McKim articulate a vision of aging that promises to accommodate
such time-honored concepts as wisdom and spirituality: one that
understands aging as a matter not merely of getting old but of
consciously growing old.
Our everyday lives are enmeshed in storytelling: the stories we
tell about our memories, the people we know, and the world we
inhabit; those we tell about our families and communities; and the
narratives we encounter in books, movies, and television. Narrative
structures how we view ourselves and everything around us. In The
Narrative Complexity of Ordinary Life, William L. Randall shows how
concepts central to the study of narrative psychology-such as
narrative development and the interrelation between narrative and
identity, cognition, and development-are integral to everyday life.
He makes the case that all people function as narrative
psychologists by continually storying their lives in memory and
imagination, as well as speculating on the stories that others may
be living, a process that Randall refers to as storyotyping.
Relying heavily on narrative, Randall draws from experiences in his
own life to illustrate various concepts in narrative psychology.
His inquiry leads him to the topics of gossip, rumor, and the
narrative complexity of nostalgia. In doing so, he makes the case
that all people function as narrative psychologists by continually
storying - or, cementing - their lives in memory and imagination, a
process Randall refers to as "storyotyping".
Many of us have particular things in our lives – photographs,
paintings, old letters, books, furniture, jewellery, or clothing
– that hold special meaning for us. Often, they correspond to
pivotal memories and can be central to our sense of self and our
life narratives, all the more so as we age. Things that Matter
sheds important light on the intricate intertwining of mementos
with stories – and vice versa – in most people’s lives. The
book explores the significance of cherished objects within the life
stories of nine participants in a qualitative study of the links
between reminiscence and resilience in later life. The researchers
who conducted the study represent a variety of fields, from
gerontology to social work to ministry, and from nursing to
literature to education. The book details how these stories can be
fraught with a wide range of insights and questions from the
memories that get stirred up as people embark on the process of
"life review" prompted by the challenges and changes of aging.
Shedding light on the complex emotional, psychological, and
spiritual findings of the study, Things that Matter ultimately
reveals the intricacy of personal narrative and the incredible ways
in which things and stories are interwoven in our lives over time.
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