RESOURCES
Narrative ethics is the basis of narrative-based learning/narrative-based reflection: the theory that people experience more wholeness by sharing stories. Narrative ethics is about the interaction between ethics and the story structure, which is evident in literature, film and theater, in which human life is reflected. By reflecting human life on existing stories, you gain more control over the context of actions, other perspectives in the field of forces, (the consequences of) choices, and the coherence of the interplay.
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The unity of human life is the unity of a narrative quest. Quests sometimes fail, are frustrated, abandoned or dissipated into distractions; and human lives may in all these ways also fail. But the criteria for success or failure in a human life as a whole are the criteria of success or failure in a narrated or to-be-narrated quest.
And that quest is ‘for the good life’ for all persons.
Walter Fisher, quoting Alasdair Macintyre’s After Virtue (1981) in Narration as a Human Communication Paradigm (1984)
People are storytellers. Storytelling is one of the oldest and most universal forms of communication. Therefore, Fisher argued that individuals approach their social world in a narrative manner and make decisions and act within this narrative framework.
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Imagination is the power of the soul
Asait (2016)
Imagination allows us to create new ideas, concepts and images, even if they are not directly based on reality. This creative force can lead to innovation, art, and problem solving.
Our imagination influences how we perceive and interpret the world around us. It can help us see new possibilities and experience reality in a more positive way. Imagination helps apply knowledge to solve problems and is fundamental to the integration of experience and the learning process.
The soul is associated with intuition and our deepest inner self. Imagination is a tool to get in touch with these aspects of the soul and use them for inspiration and direction. In this way, imagination can help us feel more connected to our inner world, our dreams and desires. It can also be a path to self-discovery and personal growth.
Imagination is an essential force that nourishes our inner life and allows us to create, experience and grow.
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For any thing so over-done, is frõ the purpose of Playing, whose end both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as ‘twer the Mirrour vp to Nature; to shew Vertue her owne Feature, Scorne her owne Image, and the verie Age and Bodie of the Time, his forme and pressure.
Hamlet, 3.2
Acting is depicting (another perspective of) reality, as if you were ‘holding up a mirror to nature’. In that mirror you see both the virtues and the vices that challenge the prevailing perspective of your time. With those words, Shakespeare’s Hamlet describes the power of allegory. To broaden your field of view, to learn to understand other people’s vision, to become aware of your own role and strength in the much larger force field of the world in which we work and live. When you look into the allegorical mirror, you see not only yourself, but also what and who is moving next to, above, below and behind you – and for what purpose.
Based on her dissertation The little’o’th’earth, Shakespeare’s sustaining allegory (Utrecht University, 2015) Iris Casteren van Cattenburch and her collegue Mike Duijn of Erasmus University Rotterdam developed the method ‘Shakespeare applied for sustainable decision-making’. This method is comparable to systemic work and builds on insights from educational science, especially theatre-based learning (in the Learning Stage model this method belongs to stage 3). ‘Shakespeare applied’ can be used for strategic team sessions, or any organizational, ethical and social challenge.
See also Case Mainfreight
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Kleiner & Roth’s Learning History methodology (MIT, 1996) can be used to map the learning experiences of individuals, teams or organizations. By collecting and analyzing stories and experiences of those involved, a more complete picture is created, on which we can reflect together. This leads to more shared understanding and to a more solid starting point for learning (of the organization) in the future.
We use the Learning History methodology for various assignments, such as evaluations of construction or innovation projects, as an intervention for organizational culture issues, for both governments and the business community.
The Learning History gives people a voice. They can express their views in an open and inclusive environment, where people feel free to share their stories and where these stories are taken seriously. Asking the right (and in-depth) questions is important for a relevant and broadest possible outcome. This outcome must be shared with all parties involved for joint reflection and the formulation of action points to improve the learning process. For the analysis, we use instruments such as timelines, narrative analyses (including the ‘2-column narrative’), pattern recognition, validation and reflection.
See also Case Rijkswaterstaat: learning from and for renovation.
