The importance of narratives in therapeutic processes such as convalescence, psychotherapy and counselling is well-established. Such narrative-based approaches highlight the benefit of sense-making, coping and positive affect in circumstances of illness or psychological distress. These phenomena are consistent with theories of narrative which emphasise contextualisation and the restoration of equilibrium. This paper proposes to open up further areas of enquiry by examining a range of theoretical models of narrative as an imaginative space. It will examine a selection of established models (...) of narrative in literary and media disciplines, and identify some themes and categories which recur in the practice of story-telling – such as inevitability and agency, community and individuality, freedom and destiny, absurdity and purpose. The paper will conclude by articulating some of the major themes that narrative suggests as a discipline, and which therefore might prove fruitful in understanding not only how story-telling plays a part in therapeutic processes, but how narrative might help to formulate a more generalised notion of wellbeing. (shrink)

Empirical evidence is presented, which suggests that current approaches to IT in tourism are dominated by the assumptions of the Postpositivist paradigm and are failing to meet the objectives they have set for themselves. A theoretical critique of three cases is undertaken highlighting the IT planning implementation problems in tourism. Critical Theory is presented as an alternative to Postpositivism and, in order to address current problems, an evaluative framework is proposed based on Habermas's Theory Of Communicative Action and his theory (...) of System and Lifeworld. The framework is tested in the context of current issues involving the distribution of packaged leisure travel in the UK. Initial findings indicate the need for the UK holiday industry to engage in further communicative action in order to develop a system of online, real time distribution, which can enable its members to meet the changing needs of the consumer, A tentative schema is presented for facilitating this communication. (shrink)

This paper wishes to address the nature of embodied understanding and how such considerations may clarify the purpose and path of phenomenologically-oriented qualitative research. It proceeds by developing some foundational thoughts about what is involved in the kind of understanding that is experientially and qualitatively relevant. As such, particular themes from Husserl, Heidegger and Gadamer are lifted out before gathering these themes to settle on the work of Eugene Gendlin. The paper concludes with a consideration of how such an emphasis (...) on embodied understanding may re-interpret the tasks of phenomenologically-oriented qualitative research. (shrink)

Discusses Alan Moore's prose novel Voice of the Fire with reference to notions of psychogeography, the orobouros as structuring device, seen/unseen, the real/unreal and other gothic tropes. Argues that this book is structured by circularity rather than linearity.