About Narrating Change

Narrative is often over-used in academic and public discourses, but rarely understood. The ways of narrative in life and scholarship are wily. In academic discourse, narratives are sometimes seen to mask injustice—and, thus, require loosening. But when do we make the shift from “narrative” to “narrating?” From 2012 through 2014, this seminar organized and sponsored events and meetings to analyze “narrative” as both a concept and process, examining such constructs as “collective narrative” and “counter narrative,” and their relationship to concepts like culture, regulation, solidarity, ideology, resistance, and diversity. The literary and legal scholars, psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, journalists, educators, political scientists, artists, and others participating in large and small events of the “Narrating Change” seminar ended each year with expanded ideas about situations and uses of narrative as a means of examining and participating in social and individual consciousness and change.

Co-leaders of the “Narrating Change” Seminar: Colette Daiute, Anthony Alessandrini, Philip Kreniske, and Svetlana Jovic.

In 2015, the Center for the Humanities launched “Narrating Change, Changing Narratives”, with a focus on public engagement and collaborative research. Site updates will be posted in May 2015.

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