Narrative Paradigm

BY WALTER FISHER
1984

Presentation by:
Steven Ulysses C. Kagayutan

Root Terms
Narration: Symbolic action with words and/or

deeds that have sequence and meaning for those

who live, create, or interpret them.
In Fishers perspective, narration includes any
verbal or nonverbal account with a sequence of
events to which listeners assign a meaning.
It is Fishers assertion that all life is composed
of stories or narratives.
Paradigm: A conceptual framework; a typical

example, pattern or model of something.

Human Nature of Narrative Paradigm

People are storytellers who understand

and interpret life experiences as ongoing

narratives with many conflicts, characters,
beginnings, middles and ends
All forms of human communication that

appeal to our reason can be regarded as

stories.

Humans are naturally storytellers

In the movie, Forrest Gump doesnt let go of any

opportunity to tell a story. He always shares stories from
his past to the person who is sitting beside him.

Rational-world vs. Narrative Paradigm

Rational-world paradigm: A scientific or

philosophical approach to knowledge that assumes

people are logical, making decisions on the basis of
evidence and lines of argument.
Narrative paradigm: A theoretical framework

that views narrative as the basis of all human

communication. In other words, we are more
persuaded by a good story than by a good argument.

Comparison of Five Assumptions

Narrative Paradigm

Rational-World Paradigm
1. People are essentially rational.
2. We make decisions on the basis of

arguments.
1. People are essentially storytellers.
2. We make decisions on the basis of good

reasons, which vary depending on the

communication situation, media, and
genre (philosophical, technical, rhetorical,
or artistic.)

Comparison of Five Assumptions cont

Narrative Paradigm

Rational-World Paradigm

3. History, biography, culture, and character

determine what we consider good reasons.

4. Rationality is based in peoples awareness
of how internally consistent and truthful
stories appear.
3. The type of speaking situation (legal,

scientific, legislative) determines the course

of our argument.
4. Rationality is determined by how much
we know and how well we argue.

Comparison of Five Assumptions cont

Narrative Paradigm

Rational-World Paradigm

5. The world is a set of stories from which we

choose, and thus constantly re-create, our lives.

(Decisions)

5. The world is a set of logical puzzles that we

can solve through rational analysis.

(Discovery)

Key Concepts In The Narrative Approach

Narrative Rationality
Narrative Coherence
Narrative Fidelity
Logic of good reasons.

Narrative Rationality
It provides us with a means for judging narratives

that is quite different from the traditional methods

found in the rational world paradigm.
It operates on the basis of two different principles:

coherence and fidelity.

Together, coherence and fidelity are the measures of a storys

truthfulness and humanity.

Narrative Rationality
How

we determine which narratives to

believe and/or reject.

Rationality is based on peoples judgment of a

storys consistency and truthfulness.
In

the movie one man

completely rejects
Forrests story of him
being the owner of Bubba
Gump Shrimp Co. The man
rejected the story because
he couldnt believe he was
sitting next to a multimillionaire.

Narrative Coherence
Internal consistency with characters acting in a

reliable fashion; the story hangs together

A statement is coherent to each other if:

The story composes only one piece

It must make sense to the listener
No jumping back and forth between conflicting ideas.

Coherence
Even

though his stories were hard to

believe at first, his actions remained
consistent with his character thus adding
coherence to the story.

3 Specific Types of Consistency

Structural Coherence

a.

A type of coherence referring to the flow of the story.

b. Material Coherence

A type of coherence referring to the congruence

between one story and other related stories.

c. Characterological Coherence

A type of coherence referring to the believability of the

characters in the story.

Types of Coherence
Structural

Coherence

When the story flows smoothly and each part

leads to the next without confusion
The

stories that Forrest told had a strong

structural coherence, because each story led
to another and he was clear about how his
actions led to one thing and then another.

Material

Coherence

The similarities in one story to the other. If two

stories are told about something and they both
match up and do not conflict each other then
they have strong material coherence.
In

the movie, Forrests stories seem to

mesh together and doesnt conflict each
other.

Characterological

Coherence

A type of coherence referring to the believability of

the characters in the story.
Forrest

though his stories were hard to believe

at first, his actions remained consistent with his
character which added coherence to the story.

Narrative Fidelity
It is the truthfulness or reliability of the story
It describes How the story relates to the

external/real world follows through with the

background of the hearers familiar world
Stories with fidelity ring true to a listener.

Fidelity
Fidelity

is the rational used in to determine

the credibility of the story.
Because of Forrests simplistic nature (He
treat complex issues as simpler as they
really are.), some found it hard to believe
him. Because of this, they think Forrests
stories were not convincing.

Continued
Forrest

tells many stories that are hard to

believe. Some of the people he talks to
reject his stories while others choose to
believe them.

Logic Of Good Reasons

A set of values for pointing out a story as true and

worthy of acceptance; provides a method for

assessing fidelity.
This logic or reasoning is a process consisting of 2

series of five questions that the listener asks about

the narrative.

First 5 Questions:
1. Are the statements that claim to be
2.
3.
4.

5.

factual in the narrative really factual?

Have any relevant facts been omitted from
the narrative or distorted in its telling?
What are the patterns of reasoning that
exist in the narrative?
How relevant are the arguments in the
story to any decision the listener may
make?
How well does the narrative address the
important and significant issues of this
case?

5 Questions That Follow:

1. What are the implicit and explicit values
2.
3.
4.
5.

contained in the narrative?

Are the values appropriate to the decision
that is relevant to the narrative?
What would be the effects of adhering to
the values embedded in the narrative?
Are the values confirmed or validated in
lived experience?
Are the values of the narrative the basis
for ideal human conduct?

Next report

Media Ecology
Theory