Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm Theory Explained
This paper examines Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm Theory, developed in the 1970s as an alternative to the rational world paradigm attributed to Aristotle. The paper traces the origins of Fisher's theory, outlines his concept of "homo narrans," and details the five core arguments of both the rational world paradigm and the narrative paradigm. It also reviews supporting research, including Jonathan Schell's work on public moral argument, surveys scholarly criticisms of the theory's consistency and scope, considers challenges posed by digital and robotic communication, and calls for further research into the theory's practical and moral implications.
- Introduction: Overview of paper's scope and structure
- When and Why the Theory Was Developed: Fisher's 1970s motivation for the theory
- The Rational World Paradigm: Aristotle-based paradigm Fisher critiques
- The Narrative Paradigm: Fisher's five narrative paradigm tenets
- Research and Scholarly Beliefs: Schell's support and scholarly critiques
- Future Research: Calls for further study and theory synthesis
- Conclusion: Summary of findings and open questions
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper follows a clear, logical progression — from the theory's historical origins through its core arguments, supporting research, and scholarly critiques — making it easy to follow for readers new to communication theory.
- It balances explanation of Fisher's own framework with external scholarly perspectives, including both supportive and critical voices, giving the analysis credibility.
- The inclusion of direct quotations from Fisher and secondary scholars grounds abstract theoretical claims in specific textual evidence.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of compare-and-contrast structure to clarify a complex theoretical argument. By systematically laying out the five tenets of the rational world paradigm alongside the five tenets of the narrative paradigm, the author makes Fisher's departure from Aristotelian tradition concrete and accessible.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction before moving into the theory's historical context. Two central sections develop the competing paradigms in parallel. A combined research-and-critique section examines supporting scholarship (Schell) and dissenting views (Wright, Rosenthal). A future-research section proposes directions for further study, and a summary conclusion recaps the paper's main findings. This seven-part structure is well-suited to a theory-overview essay at the undergraduate level.
Introduction
The theory of the narrative paradigm is one of the most important and widely relied-upon frameworks in the field of communications. This discussion focuses on that theory. It examines when and why the theory was developed and how it has been researched. It then discusses the theory in detail, including an account of the competing rational world paradigm. Finally, it summarizes what scholars believe about the narrative paradigm and offers suggestions for future research in this area.
When and Why the Theory Was Developed
The Narrative Paradigm theory was created in the 1970s by Walter Fisher. Fisher created the theory because he felt that the rational world paradigm did not take into consideration the need for the narrative form of communication. Fisher asserts that the rational world paradigm only accounted for the argumentative nature of communication — a view made famous by philosophers such as Aristotle.
Many experts in the field of communications assert that narratives play an important role in communication. Fisher reasoned that any type of communication is actually a form of storytelling (Fournier, 2002). Fisher's theory contends that human beings are animals whose ability to reason is based on their ability to tell stories (Fournier, 2002). The following sections discuss Fisher's theory in detail and provide insight into the methods he used to produce it.
Fisher's definition of narration is "symbolic actions — words and/or deeds — that have sequence and meaning for those who live, create, or interpret them" (Fisher, 1984). According to Imamura (2000), Fisher describes his theory as a rhetorical paradigm. Fisher's theory contends that an individual's ability to reason does not rest solely on discussion or argument but also on dramatic works and literature — that is, on narratives.
Bibliography
Aiex, Nola Kortner. (1988). Storytelling: Its Wide-Ranging Impact in the Classroom. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communication Skills. (ERIC Digest Identifier: ED299574).
Fisher, Walter R. (1984). "Narration as Human Communication Paradigm: The Case of Public Moral Argument." Communication Monographs, Vol. 51, pp. 1–22.
Fournier, Stephen. (2002). "Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm." Retrieved December 1, 2002.
Imamura, Amy. (2000). "Fisher's Discussion of the Narrative Paradigm." April 12, 2000. Retrieved December 1, 2002.
Rosenthal, Ann. (2002). "Navigating the Net With the Narrative Paradigm: So What?" American Communication Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2. Retrieved December 2, 2002.
Wright, Ron. (2002). "Walter Fisher." Bradley University. Retrieved December 2, 2002.
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