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Narrative Structures and the Analysis of Incest
Author(s) -
Evans Wendy J.,
Maines David R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1995.18.3.303
Subject(s) - narrative , cognitive reframing , context (archaeology) , narrative inquiry , narrative network , sociology , narrative structure , psychology , social psychology , narrative criticism , history , literature , art , archaeology
Our approach to the past is informed by the central tenets of both the interactionist and narrative perspectives. Narrative structures are the cultural and structural contexts within which pasts are transacted. Accordingly, when narrative structures change, the storied characters of pasts are changed. We analyze incest and child abuse as a substantive site to illlustrate how the criteria of believability and proper tellings vary by context. We note that the bias of civility in the interactionist understanding of the reframing of pasts does not hold in the case of flashbacks.