Browsing by Author "Beech, Leah"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    "We Figured Out How to Fight": Couples' Identity Stories on Overcoming Disagreements
    (2017) Beech, Leah; Strong, Tom; Boon, Susan; Wada, Kaori
    In this research, I examined couples’ small stories about overcoming a disagreement, while analyzing how they co-constructed a sense of relational identity in these tellings. I completed semi-structured interviews with seven couples who shared stories about what helped in resolving a past conflict, and what they learned from these overlooked successes. Using a narrative analysis framework, I analyzed the content of couples’ stories with Gubrium and Holstein’s (2009) concepts of linkage and composition, and identified narrative practices involved in constructing a sense of relational identity with Bamberg and Georgakopoulou’s (2008) small story approach. Couples identified strategies that helped resolve conflict and discussed the benefits of conflict resolution. I also reviewed how couples positioned their relationship and interacted in their “we” talk to “perform” relational identity. Lastly, I discussed the implications of these findings for couples, research, and counselling, particularly the influence questions have on inviting agentive relational accounts.