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Emancipatory potential of storytelling in a group
1Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA.
Purpose:
To examine the health-promoting functions of storytelling in a group of women.
Design:
Secondary analysis, descriptive. A convenience sample of 28 women of African descent living in the Seattle-Tacoma region of the United States was used.
Methods:
Narrative analysis of 115 stories. Data were audio-taped in four focus groups convened during a 6-week period in 1992.
Findings:
Six major functions of storytelling were identified: (a) contextual grounding, (b) bonding with others, (c) validating and affirming experiences, (d) venting and catharsis, (e) resisting oppression, and (f) educating others.
Conclusions:
Storytelling is useful for learning more about historical and contextual factors affecting the well-being of women of African descent and for improving their lives. Group storytelling can create an environment that supports evaluation of experience and promotes problem-solving.
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