Unspeakable stories: when counter narratives are deemed unacceptable

Abstract

Purpose

Qualitative researchers embrace insider narratives and affirm an environment where stories of lived experiences are acceptable and welcomed. Equally, subjective narratives often are presented for publication with an assumption that they will reach a readership, after a rigorous but empathic review process. Such assumptions and expectations underpin Indigenous, postmodern, feminist, critical and narrative research and writing approaches, all of which seek to foreground non‐dominant stories, and expose untold lived experiences through publications. However, this paper aims to challenge the somewhat implicit narrative that “lived experiences would always be welcomed”.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors discuss qualitative researchers and narratives, including excluded stories, and then reveal their own experiences of trying to publish less common, confronting, adoption narratives.

Findings

The authors find that stories that do not meet the authorized or conventional version of a social transcript, or those beyond current comprehension, may remain silenced. They speculate that the adoption stories they presented for publication were rejected because they were too confronting.

Originality/value

The authors contend that some stories challenge convention to such an extent that they become unacceptable. They tell different but interwoven stories of rejected, adoption‐related manuscripts, before reflecting on implications for the presentation of qualitative narratives.

Citation

Gair, S. and Moloney, S. (2013), "Unspeakable stories: when counter narratives are deemed unacceptable", Qualitative Research Journal, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 49-61. https://doi.org/10.1108/14439881311314568