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Narr04


Unwriting narratives – narratives of unwriting [WG: Narrative Cultures] 
Convenors:
Alf Arvidsson (Umeå University)
Aleida Bertran (Latvian Academy of Culture)
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Format:
Panel+Roundtable

Short Abstract:

There is a politics of unwriting narratives: changing actors and agency, ascribing new morals and intentions, adding and excluding episodes. We invite to reflect on ‘narrative ontologies’ and ‘grand narratives’ through unwriting in multiple forms such as counter-narratives or regret narratives.

Long Abstract:

In the invitation for the panel, we called for attention to the questioning of "narrative ontologies" and "grand narratives," and welcomed contributions that reflect on unwriting narratives as a consequence of reflexivity in ethnology and folklore studies, as well as a general practice in society at large, and what forms this takes. The presentations included will give a variety of empirical examples and theoretical perspectives, spanning from the confrontation of grand narratives on the level of international politics with everyday experiences, over the deconstruction of established ethnological knowledge, to strategies for un/re-writing practices.

The politics of unwriting narratives can be described as questioning agencies and outcomes, problematising immanent tendencies and their general validity. Often this takes the form of re-writing: changing actors and agency, ascribing new morals and intentions, adding new episodes and excluding others. As a general tendency in society, narratives of unwriting can be conversion stories and coming out – stories, having the quality of negating previous stories of self. They can be the stories of collective shame and guilt, or the hastily made-up explanations in a crisis management. Unwritings and revisions may produce the problem of handling palimpsests: covering up or incorporating the unwanted facts that are still there, such as in the “stigmatized vernacular” of problematic heritage. Unwriting can also be a handling of life stories: re-evaluating and disqualifying what earlier was seen as turning points and decisive moments.

Accepted contributions:

Session 1
Session 2