Narrative inquiry in psychology: exploring the tensions within

In recent years, qualitative researchers in psychology have become increasingly interested in narrative inquiry. With a view to stimulating dialogue, in this article, we seek to make better sense of this field by exploring a range of theoretical tensions and differences embedded within it. Organized around three overall themes, eight contrasting perspectives are presented for discussion. Theme one, termed narrative and the self , is comprised of tensions surrounding: the relation between narrative and self; the unity of self; and the coherence of self. Theme two, ontology or nature of narrative , covers: (neo)realism/relativism; interiority or externality; and constructionism. The final theme, labelled approaches to narrative research , consists of tensions entailing: the whats and/or the hows, and an analysis of narrative and storytelling. We close by suggesting that each contrasting perspective is worthy of consideration in its own right and that co-existence is possible despite some differences.