Oldal 10 [10]
Part I.
Interdisciplinary Approach to Storytelling
Humanity’s experiences and culture are transferred in stories from generation
to generation. The German ethnographer Ranke (1967) and the American
communication theorist Fisher (1984) labeled our species homo narrans,
storytelling humans, because the narrative form of social knowledge
transfer has proved to be a highly important factor in human evolution.
Storytelling, however, is not only the secret of survival for humanity, but
also an opportunity for entertainment and emotional connection. From cave
paintings, tribal dances, folk tales, and campfire songs to confessions, gossips,
medical anamneses, literary and cinematic narratives, we are surrounded by
mimetic, visual and linguistic forms of storytelling every day.
The channels of communication have multiplied over time and storytelling
remains an adaptive technique. Different disciplines explain the narrative
aspect of human cognition and cultural transmission from different
perspectives. Psychology focuses on the cognitive and emotional background of
storytelling, narratology on the narrative and linguistic structure of narration,
historiography and anthropology on its role in cultural transmission, while
communication and media theory focuses on the impact of the nature of
media on narrative creation.
CHAPTER 1.
PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES
The link between psychology and storytelling is mainly seen in its therapeutic
applications, especially in the autobiographical dialogues of psychotherapy
and in the therapeutic use of stories and literary works. In addition to the
practical use of storytelling, many sub-disciplines of psychology address the
question of why the narrative form of knowledge transfer is so effective and
liberating, and what role storytelling plays in human cognition, memory
and communication.