“Who am I?”- 7
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truly know ourselves or others), distrust (if self is the center of existence, then we are constantly
concerned about our own needs over others and are aware that others are operating under the
same principles), and competition (as we are evaluated according to our individual contributions
and progress), because of their perceived naturalness, have made it almost impossible to reflect
on other possibilities for dialogue and engagement (Gergen, 1999).
Also by conceptualizing the self as relational and recognizing social construction as an
opportunity to engage in critical self-reflection, Gergen (1999) also asks us to question the
“taken for grantedness” of our experience and the ways in which our lives are structured by
discourse. In discourse, words are significant because of how they are embedded within patterns
of action and social institutions. As Mandelbaum (in press) notes, the focus shifts from the
individual to the discursive practices through which identity is constructed. As such, “narratives
provide ways for interactants to present and negotiate versions of ‘self’ in multiple relationships.
In recounting an event in which one participated in some way, one offers a version of one’s self”
(Mandelbaum, in press, p. 44).
Narrating the Self
Through talk, we tell stories or use personal narratives to organize our everyday
experiences in ways that render them meaningful (Bochner & Ellis, 1992; Bruner, 1990; Fivush,
1991; Hinchman & Hinchman, 1997; Kerby, 1997; Langellier, 1989; Nelson, 1989a), as well as
to engage in the process of identity construction (Gergen & Gergen, 1997; Hinchman &
Hinchman, 1997; Kerby, 1997; Nelson, 1989b). Kerby (1997) cites literary critic Barbara Hardy,
who explains the prevalence of narrative: “We dream in narrative, remember, anticipate, hope,
despair, believe, doubt, plan, revise, criticize, gossip, learn, hate and love by narrative” (p. 130).
This pervasiveness of narrative in everyday communication activities suggests that narrative is
Convention