There is a growing tradition of narrative inquiry within the social sciences. However, more detailed attention is given here to its application to that group of people labelled as having learning difficulties. This is of consquence given the group's contested ontological status. Narrative is seen as a way of combating hegemonic tendencies and renegotiating identity formation and maintenance. The role of the author's voice in describing authentic experiences is considered in so far as it provides `explanations of the interaction between the individual and the social world' (Goodley, 1996: 336). This is seen as particularly relevant when the person who provides the raw material for the narrative is not the person who actually turns the material into a story. There is a metaphor available for the relationship of the informant to the researcher/writer.
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