Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm Notes

Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm

Overview

• Narratives

• Review of Aristotle’s “Rational World Paradigm”

• Walter Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm

• Factors Influencing Narrative Persuasion

• Narrative Rationality

• Narrative Coherence

• Narrative Fidelity

What Are Narratives?

• Definition: “Any verbal or non-verbal account with a sequence of events to which listeners assign meaning.”

• Examples:

  • Stories

  • Hoaxes

  • Folklore

  • Real Jokes

  • Lessons

  • Tweets

  • Rumors

  • Advice

  • Mysteries

  • Traditions

  • Lies

  • History

  • Make Believe

  • Complaints

Sapien vs. Narrans

• Homo sapien

  • Latin for “wise man”

  • Related to Aristotle’s Rational World Paradigm

• Homo narrans

  • Latin for “narrating man”

  • Related to Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm

  • Central idea: “Humans are more persuaded by a good story than by a good argument.”

Paradigm Shift

• Rational World Paradigm

  • Focus: Who “owns” the logos? (Eristic & Polemic)

• Narrative Paradigm

  • Focus: What stories do we believe and why?

Being Judgmental: How Do We “Judge” Narratives?

• Questions to consider:

  • Do you believe every story you hear?

  • Do you let every story you believe shape your values & behaviors?

    Being Judgmental: How Do We “Judge” Narratives?

    Questions to consider:

    Do you believe every story you hear?

    Do you let every story you believe shape your values & behaviors?

    Concept: Narrative Rationality

    Definition: A means of judging the narratives we hear, read, and tell.

• Concept: Narrative Rationality

  • Definition: A means of judging the narratives we hear, read, and tell.

Narrative Rationality

• Two Principles:

  • Coherence

    • The INTERNAL CONSISTENCY of a narrative

  • Fidelity

    • The TRUTHFULNESS of a narrative

Coherence

• Definition: The internal consistency of a narrative.

• Three Types:

  • Structural coherence

    • The degree to which elements of the story flow smoothly (e.g., “Does everything fit?”)

  • Material coherence

    • The degree of congruence between one story and other stories that seem related to it

  • Characterological coherence

    • The degree to which characters in the story are believable

Structural Coherence Example

• “Susan went into work today, dreading a meeting with her boss. It was time for her semi-annual job review. She left work for the day, went home to watch TV and order a pizza. For some reason Susan couldn’t stop thinking about what her boss had said.”

Material Coherence Example

• Scenario: Different accounts of when Suzie left work.

  • Mary says Suzie left work around 4:50pm

  • Adam says Suzie left work at 2:30pm

  • John says Suzie left work at 4:54pm

  • Steve says Suzie left work at 5pm

Characterological Coherence Example

• “Matt Kimball had been happily married to his wife Susan for 15 years and they had two kids. On his way home from work, he heard the following news report on the radio: BLACKSBURG, V.A.– A Blacksburg woman robbed a liquor store at gun point Wednesday afternoon. Susan Kimball, 39, repeatedly demanded clerks give her cash from the local ABC store’s safe.”

Fidelity

• Definition: The truthfulness or reliability of a narrative.

• Stories with fidelity have the “ring of truth” to them for their listeners.