Interpretation of Qualitative Data using Narrative Analysis
Narrative
Analysis is the renowned method of analyzing story in the field of anthropology
and other social sciences. Anthropologists are thought to be the experts to use
this method in their field while analyzing and interpreting the stories. That
is why anthropologists are often called as story listeners and story tellers.
Narrative
Analysis:
The
term Narrative means Descriptive response of a story or an experience. In other
way it is the descriptive mood of story-telling. In general
Ø Narrative
analysis is the basic framework related to story telling
Ø It
is an analytical method that includes variety of approaches.
Ø Through
this analytical method researcher explores the story of other people or try to
understand how the people story their life, pertaining to daily human life.
Here the stories are
valuable more in social nature rather than the individual narrate. There are
many layers but the story is embedded in a social context [the larger
institutional fabric of the story should be understood]
Ø In
narrative analysis stories are not treated as natural or coherent but layered. Story
seems to be very flowed but researcher as to go for understanding the layers of
different aspects within the story.
Ø It
is more an engagement between participant as story teller and researcher as
story listener through the text, verbal and no-verbal communication exchanges.
Ø In
this analysis there is a mutual contestation of meaning between the participant
and the researcher and the power interplay between them.
There
is an epistemological argument on 3 aspects while doing narrative analysis,
1. The
place of the audience
2.
The social position of the participant and
3. The
power relations of the stories
Steps
to reflect upon while doing narrative analysis:
ü a
story should be treated as an analytic unit;
ü different
contextual revels should be observed;
ü a
decision is made which narration segments or micro unit of analysis should be
included;
ü researcher
should look into elements of language; sociality and power
ü a
transcript should be prepared
ü a
decision should made on what to include and how to structure which is included;
ü ethical
consideration have to take place in every steps of the narrative analysis
study.
Limitations
of Narrative Analysis:
Narrative
analysis as a method of analysing qualitative data has certain backdrops like,
Ø Narratives
cannot explain everything;
Ø Narration
do not deal with specific self-context stories but contextual interrelations;
Ø Narration
do not mentions about agencies;
Ø The
narration do not focus on holistic account. It is an unit which itself holistic
but in general is a chunk; and
Ø It
also involves emotions and biases in certain factors.
Discussion
of the findings:
My
informant is a 49 years old Bengali house wife. She has a nuclear family with
52 years old husband and only one 21 years old daughter, who is at present
living in Delhi due to her educational purpose. She belongs to one of the
daughters of the well-known
‘Dalal-Family’ residing in Nabadwip, Nadia district of West Bengal. Now she is
one of the daughters-in-law of
‘Nath-Family’ residing in Barajaguli, Nadia district of West Bengal. She
was never interested to engage in a service other than taking care of her
domestic life as when she became a wife, ‘it was thought to be the tradition
and only duty for the wives to take care of
their household and family and it was not necessary as well for a wife
to go out for doing a job’. According to her, ‘my identity was ‘Dalal Barir
May’(daughter of Dalal Family) and now it is, ‘Nath Barir
Bouma’(daughter-in-law of Nath family) and in future I hope to identify myself
as ‘Pakhi-r Maa’ (mother of Pakhi, her only daughter)’. She wants her daughter
to make her own identity so that she can identify herself along with her
child’s identity.
Story of finding own
identity within family members:
My informant has informed that when after being topper in the
class for last 2 years she got failed in secondary examination only because of
the less marking in mathematics it was really sad moment for her because she
knew that it was because of the extreme turbulent class room environment faced
by her during that examination. Then when she got failed again in bachelor’s
degree exam in political science, it was
because of the diverted concentration towards a guy who came to meet her
before the last night of that exam. According to her, ‘I liked that guy but I
knew that I would not be engage in any relationship as it was not at all
allowed or favoured to my father, but the guy was so bad that he keep asking me
whether I have changed my decision even before the exam night, I was in trouble
and my mind was distracted for that in that night and I could not be able to
concentrate in my study, also political science was so hard for me to learn and
remember, may be because of this I got back in that subject’. Then she got
angry and denied that guy and then she felt so bad and shameful of not being
graduated that she decided not to be in education any more. Also there was a
hidden wish to be married as her father was not well and he also wanted to give
her responsibility to an appropriate person. Then when her father passed away
she was totally broken from inside as she thought , ‘it is my bad luck that
neither I could be able to complete my graduation degree nor even could be
married according to my father’s wish’ that was a bad time she had passed
during some long years.
Then
she got married after 2 years passed away. According to her every woman has an
inner wish to become a mother, she also had the same and she was prepared to
become a mother after 2 years of her marriage. Her husband loved her very much
and was very supportive. Her husband wanted her to be engaged with any
professional carrier but she did not wanted to be so as she needed a happy
family where she will look after the inside of the house and will take care of
her child with her own hand. She was conceived and was very happy to become a
mother, but it was the most unexpected event that passed through in her life
regarding this and then she narrates the story of overcoming the extreme pain
of losing her first baby and becoming a successful mother again.
‘I
was conceived after 2 years of my marriage. I was very cherished by all my
family members and my husband. They did not allow me to do any heavy work. I
had followed and used to maintain all the taboos and regulations related to the
pregnancy. I used to visit to the doctor for regular check-up and It was a normal baby without any
trouble. In the 6th month of my pregnancy, I had my baby shower
done in my in-laws house with a lot of blessings and pampers. I was very happy,
my husband had started preparing him to be a responsible father and started
arranging all the baby necessities in the house. But after 8th months of my
pregnancy, one day I was going to washroom and suddenly I found bleeding from
my genital and I was afraid to lose my baby. I was in my parental house for
the next baby shower going to be held on
the 9th month of my pregnancy. I called up one of my sister-in-law
to call rikshaw and take me to the doctor. I was in severe pain, somehow I
realised by that time that I have lost my baby. It was critical pain, when I
just arrived the hospital gate, I went down from the rickshaw, my baby was
falling to be miscarriage and I strongly felt that. It was really unexpected
for me. I did not even knew whether my baby was a boy or a girl. When I
understood that I have lost my baby I was felt in unconsciousness. When I woke
up in the morning, my sister-in-law told me that the baby was a daughter, her
nails and hairs were started to grow up already. It was the most critical phase
of my life, I have carried her for 8 months, I had fed her through me, I had
feel every moment with that life to grown up in my womb. But suddenly I lost
her. I could not believe myself that I can’t be a mother this time. I was
completely well healthy, then how is it possible to lose a baby like this! I
didn’t even felt any discomfort or unhealthy situation. But I didn’t understood
how I lost her!
My
husband was in his parental home, far away from me due to his shop to be
carried on. I did not knew what I will say to him, he will definitely
misunderstood me that I could not took care of his child. My brothers had
informed my husband and he came to the hospital within 5 hours. I was sad and
very nervous to face him, because it was my responsibility. But no, he completely understood my situation
and does not even blame me ever for that event still now. I was literally
tired, unrest with broken heart and out of control in my mind as that situation
made me weak and like a featherless bird’.
After
that she came back to her in-law’s home with her husband. The days were not
easy for her to spend. Every day she had a fear of not becoming mother any
more. She was unable concentrate even to her own health care and household.
After few days when she recovered from her situation her husband had proposed
her to adopt a child from an orphanage home, as maybe she has no more strength
to carry a baby again. But she denied to adopt that time as she had approached
to try for one more baby, if that does not be succeed then she will go with him
to adopt a baby.
After
few months she was again conceived. It was known to her from a shaman that her
earlier baby had a dos (supernatural cause) on her by another woman while going
to her parental home to have her baby shower. So she had took precautionary
measures through supernatural beliefs as this baby does not cope with any dos. During
her pregnancy she could not eat properly as she needed due to vomiting. She
could eat only few. She liked to eat sour fruits and pickles. All though she
felt hungry but could not eat as needed. She was in under check-up of Dr. Rita
Sinha. She was fine so did not visited hospital many times. She felt the
movements of her baby. She does not felt any pain during pregnancy. Just the
delivery pain happened. During her pregnancy she had maintained many type of
maternal taboos and regulations like not doing any heavy work, not to going out
by opened hair, not to cross any rope, not to fill up any hole, not to sew, not
to see lord kali etc.
On the 7 month of her pregnancy
period she had attended a ritual named ‘Sadh’ at her husband’s home. The
ingredients needed for this ritual was came from her parental house. Even the
chefs who cooked for her and the invited people were came from her father’s
hamlet. She had worn new cotton saree. She had treated by 7 types of fruits, 7
types of sweets and vegetable curry and
fish-curry . The invited people were her neighbours and few of their relatives
, near about 70 peoples were invited. She had not taken any gift. But everyone
gave her a new packet of cinnabar (Sindur). On 9 month of her pregnancy. Once
at the evening time she felt quite problem and told her sister-in-law to call
the doctor. So quickly she was admitted on Haringhata Hospital at 8 p.m. for
delivery. She was admitted for 2 days. On the second day she had delivered her
baby girl normally at near about 7 a.m. Her baby was fine in health. After back
to home she lived in a room of the outer side of their main house. There she
lived with her mother-in-law. She had received 1 plate plain boiled rice and
some curry without any spice every day. During these 7 days she could not use
any cosmetics, soap or shampoo. Even she can’t cut her nails and oil her hairs.
After 7 days she bathed in Ganga river and her baby girl was bathed by sun
heated Ganga jal (water of river ganga) . After that she entered at their main
home. Then all the relatives and neighbours took her baby. At the age of 6
months of her baby, she with her husband has provided the first grain of rice
to her child, which is called as ‘Mukhevat’ (rice ceremony) and the date was 20th
December 1999.According to her, ‘it was a great peace to have my daughter, my
husband was also very happy to have her, he has distributed sweets, sarees and
money to many poor people after having our daughter. I was extremely happy to
have this child as daughter because I could not see my first daughter. She came
up with our luck. She is our Laxmi (Goddess). I am grateful to god to gift her
to me. She is extraordinary from her heart’.
“After
I had my daughter, I totally engaged myself
with the parental care of my daughter and to do all the household works.
As my husband told me at the very first day that I don’t have to think about
the money or other requirements , I had also promised to take care of the
family from inside. That is only why I don’t want to engage with any kind of
profession even now hen my daughter is
21 years old! But I don’t want my daughter to be like me, I have taught her to
manage both in and outside of the home. don’t to be only house wife because
this era is different what I had and I have sacrificed my life in that context
just to make sure the proper socialization of my child” she said.
Narrative
Analysis:
“Not creating own identity for the well-being of
the child and family,
is not only a sacrifice but a choice as well”
The narrative analysis allows the researcher to explore a person’s micro-historical
(individual) experiences within a macro-historical (history of the time)
framework. Narrative information challenges the researcher to understand an
individual’s current attitudes and behaviours and how they may have been
influenced by initial decisions made at another time and in another place.
Through this practice I saw the narrative analysis as method of grounding anthropological
analysis.
Here
the story was taken from a 49 years old house wife who were decided not to
engage in a service, not to create an identity of her own. As an anthropologist
what I have understood is that, not creating own identity as a well-wisher, who
think herself to be the only to hold the inner control and beauty of the family
is not only a sacrifice, it is also a choice. It was not a sacrifice from her side. Because this person had chosen her life as to be the mother-of-her
child, which is her wish. She is the person who always live for others not for
only herself. But when in
contemporary time we think of it, most of the today’s mother is now not only
wants to be engaged themselves in household work and take care of child. She had mentioned that, ‘of course I took care of myself from my
eating to my personal care, as I love to keep myself clean and beautiful, I
love to keep my household clean and beautiful as well’. She does not like to work and live in a uncleaned space. She is a beautiful
lady, although she is having her age of 49, she still has the strength and
beauty to keep behind a young girl of present time. Her beauty is from her
inner side as well which came out through her cleanliness.
She had faced many
unexpected realities in her life before her marriage, in her student life. She
found that without her fault she was exploited, may be it was her luck as she
had mentioned. As she was very pretty, in her college as well as in locality,
many young guys have tried to make friendship with her. But she was very strict
in that case, she was not interested at all to make friendship with any guy for
any unnecessary reason. Because she knew that her father has a respect in that
locality, many people have tried her elder sister to exploit her beauty as she
was as beautiful as her. So before her marriage even till now she is maintain
that nature to keep her family in that status that one can blame them for
anything. She had even ignored the only
guy whom she was liking just because of the mentality of not having affaire
before marriage which is not favoured by her father. Then after marriage she
always tried to maintain the tradition of Nath family like, wearing saree, food
habits and such kind of things, rules and regulations. When her husband
promised her that she does not need to worry about the outer necessities of
their family, she also promised himself to not to worry about the inner
necessities of the family. She does not wanted the nuclear family but the
situation got so bad that they were forced to be apart from Nath family and
having their own house. But he is very happy to have her husband because
according to her, ‘he is a perfect life partner for me and a perfect father of
my child’.
Now she has daughter, who is not only
glowing from her beauty but also glowing from her carrier slowly. She had
mothered her child with such an environment that she believes that her child
will also not do anything ever that will be a reason of their shame. she had
even a critical time when she left her child to stay apart from her as it was
first time after she was born. But she also crossed that hard time. Now she is
hopeful to be identified as the mother of her child. At last she said that ,‘I keep
believe in myself, I belief God will give the right for us, we just need to
believe and God and keep doing our duties’.
The lady in the story, my
informant is not only maintained her duties to be a mother but also maintained
the honour of her father as a perfect daughter, honoured her husband by taking
care all the inner peace and necessities of their family but didn’t created her
own professional identity. She had narrated the pain of losing a baby in her
foetus, then the story goes on to become a mother again of a girl child. Being
a girl she knows, what is the responsibility of a single girl child towards her
family. the whole story represents the way she was talking about her only
daughter, including her husband even her father is not apart from her
memorizing a story. She deliberated upon the dependency of creating her
identity, her way of living maintaining life keeping in mind of her father
before marriage and after marriage as a
partner of her husband, as a mother of her child, nothing alone. Although the
origin of the thread is not from her part but it is the story of maintaining
and nourishing the bond and depending on family members to find her own
identity?
Now according to her, who is
she? – “she is not only a house wife, but all-time partner of her husband and
mother of her child” and
Researcher found “a
dependency and trust of a woman towards her family members to create and
maintaining her identity”.
This method helped the
researcher to realize the preciousness of the narrative analysis method through
its apply. Through this method the researcher was able to identify the identity
of her informant. She had realized during this practice that life has many
things to learn from. Experiences are the precious than the destination. Keeping
believe in own self and God, keeping hope with smile and doing our own duties
is always important for life to overcome any situation.
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