1. Marianne Skytte skytte@socsci.aau.dk August 18 2010
Life story analysis
Marianne Skytte
August

2. What status are biographical accounts assumed to have in relation to lived life?
What kind of reality is of concern to the social sciences?

3. The life focusing approach The story focusing approach
Factual approach
Subjec-tivist approach
Phenomenological approach
Herme-neutical approach
Construc-tionistic approach
Life history ~
A window to objective historical facts
A window to the storytellers mental life
The storytellers own biographical reconstruction
A product of interpersonal relations
A social construct that is a product of certain structural and cultural representa-tions

4. The story focusing approach
Phenomenolo-gical approach
Hermeneutical
approach
Constructionist approach
Life history ~
The storytellers own biographical reconstruction
A product of interpersonal relations
A social construct, that is a product of certain structural and cultural representations

5. Levels of analysis Lived life The experienced life The told life
Life as it happened
The experienced life
Thoughts, wishes, regrets, feelings etc. in relation to the lived life
The told life
Life as it is told in the life story
Analysed life
Life as the researcher analysed and retold it
Kilde: Öberg 1997:80

6. Phenomenological approach Constructionist approach
Hermeneutical
approach
Constructionist approach
Lived ~ Experienced ~ told life
Lived ~ Experienced but unlike told life
Biographic consciousness is an individual matter
Biographical consciousness is a social relationship
Biographical consciousness is a construction
Focus:
The subjectivity of the storyteller
The storyteller as a situated social individual
Stories about life – the normal-biography of a certain context

7. In a bibliographical interview it is the goal through non-directed and unspecific questions to facilitate the interviewee to tell a story that is as complex and multi-layered as possible

8. Narratives can be about
Personal memories
Significant others
Turning points
Strong emotions
Meaning
Reflection
Communication
Report
Self-presentation
Argumentation
Legitimation
Source: Kupferberg 2006, p. 1

9. A biographical narrative talks about the past, it happens in the present, but its purpose is actually about creating possibilities for the future

10. Comments are welcome Marianne Skytte Department of Sociology, Social Work and Organization Aalborg University Denmark