Narrative psychology: A tool for ecological practice

Abstract

This article suggests that while educational psychology espouses an ecological view of human development, the implementation of practices that reflect this perspective has often been obstructed. In many circumstances, practices that attribute problems to individuals, or groups of individuals, continue. These contrast with ecological practices that position problems in the interaction between people with various needs and their particular worlds. The article suggests that many educational and community systems operate to maintain individual-centred practices and that many tools currently available to educational psychologists were developed for more traditional approaches. Narrative inquiry is recommended in this article as one available toolthat supports ecological practice. The article, presented in two parts, discusses the shared theoretical foundations of ecological practice and narrative inquiry. It illustrates one way in which narrative inquiry integrates with familiar patterns of practice in educational psychology. The narrative approach to psychology is presented here as a way of thinking and talking about practice rather than as a therapy or a method of scientific research.