The Value of the Narrative

Narratives emerge when we communicate through verbal and nonverbal language. The story we tell becomes our narrative. The domain does not matter because each approach recognizes the inherent value of the story. To illustrate, in caregiving medicine the narrative helps the patient to heal and the caregiver to understand. Historically, the story allows the listener to preserve memories, educate the new generation and honor those who have engaged in the storytelling. Narratives have significant potential because they are gathered face-to-face as oral history, electronically shared as text or visually as a documentary.

Why bother?

Our lives are busy and our world is changing. With each generation many stories are lost in translation as the context changes and languages evolve. Parents often convey this concern when they simply say "I just don't understand." The value of the narrative grounds us in the reality of the present and illuminates the reality of the past.