Constructing narrative, emotion, and self in parent–child conversations about the past

Abstract

We are all the authors of our own autobiographies. We all tell stories about our past experiences both to ourselves and to others. These stories serve many different functions, such as entertainment, interpersonal bonding, and moral lessons. But one of the most important functions they serve is self-definitional. The stories of our lives tell us and our listeners something about who we are (Brewer, 1986; Fivush, 1988; Miller, Potts, Fung, Hoogstra, & Mintz, 1990; Neisser, 1988). Moreover, life stories seem to conform to canonical narratives, at least in Western cultures (Bruner, 1987; Labov, 1982; Spence, 1982). Canonical narratives give a particular form and meaning to our lives. Specifically, narratives provide a linear and often causal structure to life events. Good narratives are not simple chains of actions following an arbitrary temporal order; narratives are emotionally meaningful, causally connected sequences of actions that provide both temporal and evaluative cohesion to life events. Particular events become important parts of our life story because they provide some meaningful information about who we are, and the narrative forms for representing and recounting these events provide a particular structure for understanding and conveying this meaning. Moreover, as I will argue later, it is the evaluative and emotional aspects of life stories that link these experiences to the continuously developing sense of self.