The Importance of Untold and Unheard Stories in Narrative Gerontology: Reflections on a Field Still in the Making from a Narrative Gerontologist in the Making

Authors

  • Bodil Hansen Blix UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Abstract

In this essay, I consider the limitations and possibilities of narrative gerontology. I reflect upon narrative gerontology’s fundamental dependence on people’s narrative willingness. I discuss both the reasons that stories remain untold and the reasons they remain unheard. Furthermore, I suggest that narrative gerontology would benefit from a stronger focus on the act and context of storytelling rather than merely on what is being told. I suggest that narrative gerontology should pay more attention to the diverse sites of engagement, more or less formalized settings, and spontaneous everyday interactions in which older adults tell stories.

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Published

2016-06-20

How to Cite

Blix, B. H. (2016). The Importance of Untold and Unheard Stories in Narrative Gerontology: Reflections on a Field Still in the Making from a Narrative Gerontologist in the Making. Narrative Works, 6(2). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NW/article/view/25799

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Research Articles