This book explores the rich, diverse opportunities and challenges afforded by research that analyses the stories told by, for and about women. Bringing together feminist scholarship and narrative approaches, it draws on empirical material, social theory and methodological insights to provide examples of feminist narrative studies that make explicit the links between theory and practice. Examining the story as told and using examples of narratives told about childhood sexual abuse, domestic/relationship abuse, motherhood, and seeking asylum, it raises wider issues regarding the role of storytelling for understanding and making sense of women's lives. This thought-provoking work will appeal to students and scholars of women's studies, feminist and narrative researchers, social policy and practice, sociology, and research methods.
Preface. Telling lives in feminist narrative inquiry; Liz Stanley.- Chapter 1. Introduction: Doing feminist narrative research; Jo Woodiwiss, Kate Smith and Kelly Lockwood.- Part I. Why feminist narrative research?.- Chapter 2. Challenges for feminist research - contested stories, dominant narratives and narrative frameworks; Jo Woodiwiss.- Chapter 3. Doing narrative research? Thinking through the narrative process; Tina Miller.- Chapter 4. The Listening Guide feminist method of narrative analysis: Towards a posthumanist performative (re)configuration; Natasha Mauthner.- Part II. Situating feminist narrative.- Chapter 5. Young Mothers' Experiences of Relationship Abuse: Public Narratives, Personal Stories; Julia Langley.- Chapter 6. Listening to mum: narratives of mothers in prison; Kelly Lockwood.- Chapter 7. It's My Party, I'll Cry If I Want To: Interpreting Narratives of Childhood Sexual Abuse; Adele Jones and Hazel Da Breo.- Chapter 8. Women, asylum and resistance: A feminist narrative approach to making sense of stories; Kate Smith.- Chapter 9. Conclusion; Kelly Lockwood, Kate Smith and Jo Woodiwiss.
