For them, theory, quite a personal matter, becomes an integral part of their own autobiographies. Ultimately, Clandinin and Connelly lean most heavily on narrative as a form of representation rather than a mode of analysis. Human lives, they suggest, are woven of stories. Individuals construct their identities through their own and others stories. They experience daily encounters and interactions as stories.
Every present moment has a storied past and a storied future possibility.
Social phenomena become a converging point for individual, collective, and cultural stories. In making these characterizations, the authors proffer interesting ideas about creating field and research texts, potentially useful for qualitative researchers. When I think about my own students in qualitative research, however, I regret that the book does not offer more insight into the thorny problems of analysis and trustworthiness. There is a great deal at stake here if the object of inquiry is schooling.