Interdisciplinary approaches to the study of spoken, written and material narratives

Abstract

The chapter presents the historical and theoretical foundation that unite the volume chapters. It briefly describes the historical backdrop that has motivated the volume and the research project from which it has emanated, with its particular focus on narratives of migration in the Nordic countries. The notion of ‘identity’ and the interconnectedness of individual and group identities is discussed, as well as the importance of culture to both aspects of identity. While the historical background, constructivist perspectives on identity, and postcolonial theory represent a common basis for all of the volume’s chapters, the differences in research materials—oral, written and material narratives—call for a clear, but inclusive definition of what a narrative is as well as for a discussion of the role of mediation and genres in shaping narratives of identity, and how we can study narratives of different media and through different discipline-specific, but combinable methods. The chapter also includes a more philosophical discussion of the narratability of identity.