This thesis is the result of a process of Dialogical Narrative Analysis with twelve participants who hear voices that other people cannot hear. It uses the socio-narratology of Arthur Frank to examine their stories about their experiences in the context of the complex and conceptually contested fields of knowledge that are considered relevant to voice-hearing. The 12 voice-hearers present a wide range of ideas and explanatory frameworks about their experiences. Emotions are deliberately part of this thesis and many stories are as moving as they are complex. The author’s own experiences of these stories is also acknowledged and explored. Whereas much research about hearing voices is biological, psychological or occasionally sociological, this research has many aspects of political exploration and the field is understood as one of conflicting vested interests and ideologies. Many ethical considerations come to light, especially concerning forms of power and knowledge within mental health professions and services in the UK, but also within the Hearing Voices Movement, which is seen as a vital movement with a variety of possible histories. One possibility suggested by this research is that voice-hearers are able to tolerate, and benefit from, more dialogical approaches and that those that do may find more successful ways to live with their experiences than those who are subject to the strongly monological emplotments of much professionalised knowledge. Another strong theme is the great influence of neoliberal politics over individuals and notions of ‘health’.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:719999 |
Date | January 2016 |
Creators | Gadsby, Jonathan |
Publisher | Birmingham City University |
Source Sets | Ethos UK |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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