In Australia, family storytelling and religion, the traditional sources of shared stories, are in decline. Stories are increasingly sourced from books, television, film and the internet. But the research suggests that whilst the sources of stories have changed over time, from family and bible stories to books, radio, television and film, the role of those stories has been constant. It has been argued that there is an important connection between an individual?s perception of their own place in the world, their understanding of what constitutes a good life and how to live it, and their ability to empathise with the lives and problems of others (MacIntyre, 1981; Taylor, 1989; Aristotle, 1996; Kearney, 2002). The research indicates that this core bundle of values, attitudes and beliefs is commonly derived from the stories to which individuals are exposed from an early age. Access to stories with which the individual can personally identify and which are familiar to and shared with those around them is crucial in establishing a satisfactory self-narrative (Polkinghorne, 1988), and to the individual's ability to communicate it successfully through the process of triple mimesis (Ricoeur, 1991/1980). Of crucial importance is access to sharable stories which resemble significant aspects of the recipient's own life and circumstances. Respondents who had endured personal difficulties were more likely to accept their circumstances and live successful lives when they had been able to identify with a story describing a similar problem and its credible resolution. However, individuals who had been unable to identify with a public story and establish a satisfactory self-narrative were more likely to be socially dysfunctional. The research also indicates a correlation between exposure to word-based stories at an early age, and the later development of imagination and ambition. People who only experienced visual stories in their early years appeared less articulate, less able to imagine things beyond their own experience, and were less ambitious in their career aspirations. Australia is an increasingly diverse nation, with a wide and growing variety of cultures, beliefs and circumstances represented in the population. It is argued that to maintain the social health of such a diverse community Australia requires an equally wide variety of public stories to ensure that all sections of the community can find a suitable reflection of their lives and circumstances. / thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/284121 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | De Roeper, Julia |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | © 2005 Julia de Roeper |
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