Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Narrative Inquiry: Responses to Critique

Narrative inquiry methodology challenges traditional research methodologies and “appears to reaffirm the plurality of stories that different cultures and subcultures may tell about themselves” (Hinchman & Hinchman, 1997, p. xiv). For narrative inquiry, no one truth exists, and storytelling often becomes an act of resistance against a dominant paradigm of rationality as the research participant can justify his or her actions or reactions throughout a narrative account. When conducted in a reflexive manner, narrative inquiry provides the possibility of reaching across the divide between researchers and the researched, giving marginalized communities the ability to take part in telling their own stories. ...