Although there is a resurgence of interest in the self, few studies focus on
researching the self-in-context. This study fills the void of such omissions by
studying how the self reconstitutes itself in relation to context, or discourse.
The study begins with the development of a model of the self that is
contextual, evolving, multiple and discursive. Consistent with this
perspective of the self, a feminist social constructionist methodology was
developed. Such a methodology was developed and implemented in order to
more fully understand how (a) discourses are interpreted by individuals and
groups of people, (b) people author their lives in relation to certain
discourses, and (c) identities, or subjectivities are claimed. The study focuses
on language—metaphors, rules, norms, and discursive practices. Concepts
such as position, scripts, discourse, subjectivity, and discursive practices were
used to understand discourse and reconstituting self.
There are three components to this study including (a) a personal narrative of one woman's recovery, (b) an analysis of dominant discourses
surrounding the discourse of recovery, and (c) a narrative of the research
process including the discursive relationships of the researcher. By focusing
on these various layers of experience, the interrelationships between self and
discourse are highlighted.
The form of the study is narrative as it weaves the participant’s story of
recovery with the researcher's relationships to the discourses she has claimed.
It is also metaphorical in that it highlights metaphors embedded within various treatment discourses. Through such metaphors, voice, ambivalence,
and agency are examined as they relate to the shared experiences of both the
participant and the researcher.
The study concludes by highlighting difficulties when studying discourse,
when constituting oneself within discourse, and when scripting oneself into a particular subjectivity. / Graduate
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/8291 |
Date | 21 June 2017 |
Creators | Hoskins, Marie L. |
Contributors | Peavy, Vance |
Source Sets | University of Victoria |
Language | English, English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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