This article describes why the author came to use a narrative approach in research with Polish people. The author looks at the problems in defining Polish families given that defining both Polish and family is not straightforward. A narrative approach enables a researcher to evaluate such complex categorizations and the links between them. At its best, such an approach involves more than a content analysis of an interview. It entails a focus on the structure of an account and its purpose as much as on its contents to examine the context in which it is given.
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