A story-net approach to qualitative research: having tea with stories!
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management
ISSN: 1746-5648
Article publication date: 1 August 2023
Issue publication date: 10 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to share the story-net approach and to situate it as one that benefits from blending story as Indigenous methodology with non-corporeal actant theory (NCAT). The authors hope it will serve useful in building storytelling communities where Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars are working to heal together from colonial trauma, reveal the inner workings of historical and ongoing colonial projects, dismantle the agency of colonial projects, and welcome heartful dialogue into the centre of MOS discourse.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employ a storytelling approach which includes mapping the story-net territory and identifying the plot points along the journey. The authors use the story-net approach to story the approach.
Findings
This approach served helpful when engaging within story archives and with storytelling collectives comprised of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons, peoples and knowledges. The authors found four key premises, which help to narrate the ontology, epistemology, methodology and axiology of the story-net approach and six plot points, which help in mapping the lessons learned from engaging with stories, storytellers, story listeners and the socio-discursive contexts surrounding story-net work.
Originality/value
The authors story an approach that can be useful to support emerging Indigenous scholars while engaging with their non-Indigenous colleagues to do story-net work. This approach may be useful to navigate the tensions to create safer, more humane, inclusive, relational, strengths-based and trauma-informed spaces for engaging with Indigenous stories, storytellers, story listeners and discourses, as well as, to plot the points of contention so as to set the stage for deepening respectful research relations.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors work, live and play in Mi'kma'ki, the beautiful and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq. The authors are grateful to these lands and waters for nourishing our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits, and the authors are grateful to the Mi'kmaw land and water protectors who have been stewards of these lands since time immemorial.
The authors also want to thank the archives, gatherings and networks that they have had the pleasure to work with over the last ten years, all of whom have contributed immensely to their capacity to engage in this work and refine their collaborative process.
Citation
Price, S.T. and Hartt, C.M. (2023), "A story-net approach to qualitative research: having tea with stories!", Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 222-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-12-2022-2456
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited