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Stories we tell about ourselves and others

Narrative theory and 'stories about stories' on the truth and ownership in a share of stories

Frank Bylov

A possible 'starter'

Once upon a time, not very long ago and not very far from here, there was – and still is – a story about a girl who grew up in the 'hospitals'. The story was told and brought up by a woman, who once had been the very same girl in the story. They were nice to each other and happy together. Many evenings, sitting in her favourite armchair, the woman told the story alive to her self, and they would sit together while the light of dusk faded away.

For some years this seemed quite enough, and they did not wish for more. But sooner or later the story began to feel lonely. It had a growing wish to go out and meet other people who would listen to it – and other stories to play with. The woman understood, knowing that feeling, and together they went out. But their search for listeners was hard and many times humiliating – and the story never found other similar stories to play with.

After long time they gave up, and again they sat together in the armchair while night grew darker and darker. And the story was very sad and sometimes wished that the woman had never brought it to life. But then one fine day, there was a knocking on the door ...

Now, this is not a way to end a story! At least anyone having listened so far would like to know who is was, knocking? The point is then, that the story does not end here. On the contrary, this is where it begins, with that first knocking on a door!

Only, after this beginning, I think that somebody else must take over and tell the real story about the stories of the girl and the others girls and the boys, who all grew up in the 'hospitals'.

And I think that 'somebody else' is present, here and now, in this room.

To be honest, I do think, that this very conference, like the earlier ones, are but yet another episode in the ongoing and longer story about the stories of people living inside 'the sheltered life' of old hospitals and newer 'social services'.

My presentation

I have chosen to do my presentation in a kind of 'double voice'. In the 'PowerPoint presentation' I shall show you some conceptual models taken from narrative theory, to give an abstract but also generalised view on stories, storytelling and the sharing and strengthening of 'the voice of our own'. And in the 'oral presentation' I shall tell you some examples, that is,'stories about stories', to give some comments on the challenges that seems to appear in telling and sharing your stories with others.

The presentation is told in three parts

The 'World of stories' – or the 'Narrative configuration' – is a model of stories as a 'textual genre' with specifications of 'set-up, finality and access of elements’. Or, in other words, telling a story is opening a world of your own experience, a world that belongs to you, and that you at the same time can belong to. Doing this, you will find a very large freedom – but also some limitations. You can not tell just anything! A story must also be told in a way that someone else may be able to/want to listen to.

The 'Storytelling communities'– or the ‘Narrative prefiguration’ – is a model of storytelling and listening as a 'social practice' with specifications of conditions for 'sharing and belonging, voice and ownership and the economy of truth'. Or, in other words, in sharing your story with others you are confirming the storytelling community and at the same time also its common 'share of stories'. But to enter such a fellowship you must declare your own 'voice' and the ownership you expect. And meeting other storytelling communities and their share of stories and ownership – such as those of staff, parents or supporters – you may also discover certain disagreements, competitions or even conflicts about 'the truth and its price'.

The 'Strenghtening of voice' – or the 'Narrative refiguration or reflexivity' is a model of stories and storytelling as means of emancipation or empowerment with specifications of conditions for 'the reach of experiences, the direction of voice and the distribution and control of narrative positions. Or, in other words, having found 'a share of stories and a voice of our own', you may discover that other people and groups – e.g. staff, parents or supporters – are doing exactly the same, and that their stories and voices are much stronger than yours. You are literally spoken 'shouted down upon'. To stand up against this is maybe not so much the insistence that 'this is our story and nobody shall take it away from us'– but maybe rather the efforts of extending the share you already have, of alternative references to the cultural themes of diversity – and the insistence of telling yourselves as the true heroes of your own stories.

A Danish story

Back in the early 90s people with learning difficulties in Denmark realised that they needed to strengthen the ‘Voice of their own’. They decided to set up a national and formal self-organisation so that they could speak and negotiate from a legitimate position. They elected among themselves the leaders and representatives of this new association.

But as soon as they spoke up, they were blamed by others – by staff, parents and supporters – to be 'cheats or fakes'. That is, people with minor problems just pretending to have learning disabilities in order to 'steal' their new positions.

You can say, following the models of narrative theory, that they were 'told off' into the position of 'false heroes' trying to steal the position of the 'real heroes' – a position rightfully belonging to somebody else – that is, to either staff, parents or supporters.

Backgrounds

This presentation was founded on my own research over the last 15 years on the cultural history of Danish people with learning disabilities and the development of their movements.

Narrative theory has been of crucial import especially to the analysis of the earlier generations of these movements. But it is also founded in my own experience as a teacher / headmaster in special education which began 40 years ago, as a supporter/secretary in movements since the early 1980s – and as a researcher in shifting alliances/partnerships with the Danish National Association of People with Learning Difficulties over the last 10 years.

Thank you for listening.

Contact us

About the Group

If you woud like to get in touch with the Social History of Learning Disability (SHLD) Research Group, please contact:

Liz Tilley 
Chair of the Social History of Learning Disability (SHLD) Research Group
School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care
Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA

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