- Relating Through Narrating

Catalog description

Social interactions saturate our everyday lives—from talking with close friends, family members and acquaintances to engaging in broader publics. Narrative threads tie these interactions together, shaping how individuals negotiate their identities, relational boundaries, expectations, and power differences. This course examines narrative’s relational qualities, prompting questions such as: How is narrative embodied, conceived and enacted in our everyday interactions and relationships? Furthermore, how do the meanings constructed through narrative create conditions for cultivating meaningful connections with others? Course readings will explore theoretical understandings and practical implications of narrative across an assortment of relational settings. Assignments, involving both creative and critical practices, will entail introspective inquiry, relational analyses, and storied presentations.