Lending Voices to the Marginalised: The Power of Narratives as Alternative Sociological Discourse

Abstract

The preoccupation with theorising and esoteric epistemology tends to shift attention from the lived experiences of many groups that are on the margins. Looking at the world from their perspectives and chronicling their life stories can lead to a radical scholarship of praxis that challenges many established notions of the ‘core’ and the ‘periphery’. There has been a kind of overemphasis on ‘consistency’ in many sociological discourses in the process of ignoring what may be termed as ‘commonality’. I argue that the narrative model humanises knowledge and takes sociological discourse closer to reality.

One of the critiques of the narrative model is that it is ‘subjective’ because it tends to focus on lived experiences which cannot really be reported or studied with a sense of detachment, an attribute that is considered critical for sound research. This position needs to be questioned. In fact, narrative-based discourses open new vistas for understanding, questioning and resisting inequality. Narratives are often rejected as storytelling and without a sound methodological and theoretical base, but my premise is that narratives can provide a strong basis for reconstructing and revisiting our theories and methods. Sociological discourse on issues of subaltern identities and the challenges of those living on the margins is incomplete without using the narrative method. By taking cues from my research experiences with forest dwelling communities in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka, I have tried to show how research can change perceptions and practices and lead to transformation.