Narrative and Chaos Acknowledging the Novelty of Lives-in-Time

In this paper I propose that interest in narrative within the human sciences is comparable to interest in chaos within the natural sciences. In their respective ways, theories on narrative and theories on chaos are aimed at appreciating the dynamics of complex, multi-dimensional systems which otherwise resist our attempts to predict, measure, and control them. Drawing on my research and teaching in gerontology, I consider the storied uniqueness (or novelty) and narrative complexity of lives-in-time on three main levels: the individual, the interpersonal, and the institutional-cultural.