Innovations in Narrative and Metaphor: Methodologies and Practices

This book pursues an interdisciplinary approach to open a discourse on innovative methodologies and practices associated with narrative and metaphor. Scholars from diverse fields in the humanities and social sciences report on how they use narrative and/or metaphor in their scholarship/research to arrive at new ways of seeing, thinking about and acting in the world. The book provides a range of methodological chapters for academics and practitioners alike. Each chapter discusses various aspects of the author’s transformative methodologies and practices and how they contribute to the lives of others in their field. In this regard, the authors address traditional disciplines such as history and geography, as well as professional practices such as counselling, teaching and community work.

Dr Sandy Farquhar’s interest in narrative and metaphor began during her PhD programme, which focused on the philosophy of education. She has published widely in the area of narrative theories, including her book, Ricoeur, Identity and Early Childhood (2010) and two co-edited special issues of Educational Philosophy and Theory on the philosophy of early childhood (2007 and 2014). She has authored or co-authored a number of papers on narrative identity and metaphor for various journals. Sandy has a variety of teaching and research interests including metaphor studies, theories of narrative, teacher identity, early childhood curriculum, politics and policy, philosophy of education and childhood studies.

Dr Esther Fitzpatrick’s interest in narrative and metaphor began with exploring narrative inquiry as a methodology in her Master’s thesis, which focussed on generating, analysing and telling children’s stories of their perspectives on Pākehā identity. She then proceeded to designand implement an arts-based research project using critical autoethnography and duoethnography as a means of telling the story of becoming a Pākehā educator for her doctorate. She has published and presented extensively in the area of innovative methodologies for generating stories as data. She has authored or co-authored numerous book chapters and articles for various journals. She has a broad range of teaching and research interests including culturally responsive pedagogies, narrative inquiry, critical theory and pedagogy, arts-based methods and strategies, decolonising practices, neoliberalism, and teacher identity.