Narrative and Social Control

by Mumby, Dennis K.

• ISBN13: 9780803949317
• ISBN10: 0803949316
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1993-08-01
• Publisher: Sage Pubns

Summary

What is the relationship between narrative, society and the forms of control that function in society? This critical analysis examines the role of narrative in the creation of various social realities.The central theme is that narrative is a pervasive form of human communication integral to the production and shaping of social order. Each chapter provides both a theoretical framework and an examination of narratives in a range of communication contexts - interpersonal, small group, organizational and mass media - illustrating the far-reaching impact of narrative on our lives and social organizations.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Narrative and Social Control	p. 1
Narrative, Power, and Social Theory	p. 15
Family Storytelling as a Strategy of Social Control	p. 49
Cultural Narratives and the Therapeutic Motif: The Political Containment of Vietnam Veterans	p. 77
Narrative and the Culture of Obedience at the Workplace	p. 97
Stories and Racism	p. 121
Deformed Subjects, Docile Bodies: Disciplinary Practices and Subject-Constitution in Stories of Japanese-American Internment	p. 143
The Narcissistic Reflection of Communicative Power: Delusions of Progress Against Organizational Discrimination	p. 164
American Journalists and the Death of Lee Harvey Oswald: Narratives of Self-Legitimation	p. 189
Oppositional Voices in China Beach: Narrative Configurations of Gender and War	p. 207
Name Index	p. 232
Subject Index	p. 237
About the Contributors	p. 241
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