Critical Narrative Analysis in Psychology: A Guide to Practice

This book presents an approach to narrative analysis from a critical social perspective. It describes the background to discursive and narrative approaches and then takes the reader through a variety of analysis at different 'levels'. These focus on narrative texts from a boy labelled as 'sexually abusive', analyzed sequentially from micro- to more global levels. Through this extended example, the book demonstrates the power of narrative analytic procedures and the different effects produced by different levels of analysis.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction - Psychosocial Studies and Critical Narrative Analysis Questioning and Transcribing: How to Gain Access to Personal Narratives Linguistic Tools and Interpretive Levels: Beginning Interpretation Building a Rabbit Run: Doing Thematic Interpretation Canonical Narratives and Cultural Orders: Moving Analysis to a more Molar Level Claims and Counterclaims: Working Critically with Narratives

About the Author :
Peter Emerson is Senior Practitioner (Family Therapy) at the Unthank Family Centre, Norwich, UK. He holds an MSc in Family Therapy from the Tavistock Clinic and a PhD from Birkbeck College and has previously published on drug and solvent abuse. Stephen Frosh is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. He was formerly Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Vice Dean of the Tavistock Clinic. He is the author of many books and articles, especially concerning the use of psychoanalysis in social and cultural contexts. Stephen Frosh's most recent books include After Words and Young Masculinities, both published by Palgrave.

Review :
'If you are interested in conducting psychosocial research and curious about what the study of narrative offers, then this is the book for you. Emerson and Frosh provide a lucid and fluent account of the techniques of narrative analysis complete with highly accessible examples illustrating different levels of analysis. Their book, however, is much more than a simple 'how to' guide. It is a truly fine theoretical exegesis presenting the latest trends in discursive research and critical psychosocial thinking in ways which will inspire and intrigue clinical and psychotherapeutic practitioners as well as social science audiences.' - Professor Margaret Wetherell, Director ESRC Identities Programme, Open University, UK