NARRATIVES – AND WHY THEY

MATTERDr David Mair

Head of Counselling

University of Birmingham

WHO AM I? WHAT AM I? WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU?

We make sense of our lives through the narratives that are available to us at the time and place in history into which we have been ‘thrown’.

Our tales are spun – but for the most part we don’t spin them, they spin us.

K. Gergen

1978University of Newcastle upon

Tyne

Me - 18 YEARS OLDSexuality: unknown

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THE MOST BASIC NARRATIVE IN WESTERN SOCIETY…

The “Heterosexual Assumption”

the notion that “…every adolescent will find a partner of the opposite sex, settle down, get married, ultimately procreate and raise children” (K Plummer, 1981)

THE HETEROSEXUAL ASSUMPTION

NARRATIVES ABOUT IDENTITY CHANGE OVER HISTORICAL TIME

There is nothing ‘fixed’ about our identity narratives

Think about how narratives have changed and are continuing to change about…

150 YEARS AGO THERE WERE NO GAY PEOPLE…

So sexuality as a basis for identity = modern phenomenon

BUT…NARRATIVES CLASH AND COLLIDE

SICKPERVERTED

NATURAL VARIETY

EQUAL OPPS

INDIFFERENCE

BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF

CONFORMING

SINFUL

NARRATIVES CAN ‘CLASH’ Western liberal narratives of sexuality v

Religious/Other cultural narratives of sexuality

Essentialist narratives of masculinity/femininity, homo/heterosexuality clash with queer narratives of identity

Clashes are increasingly common in a globalised society

Can lead to huge internal distress for individuals

WHAT IS YOUR INSTITUTIONAL NARRATIVE AROUND SEXUAL MINORITIES?

Indifferent? Supportive? Proactive? Reactive?

Any ‘space’ for s.m. students? How are they ‘mirrored’ and welcomed?

How do we – should we? – affirm life narratives of sexual minority students?

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