Construction paper : the necessity of narrative in the evolution of self

This thesis / dissertation was completed and submitted at Nipissing University, and is made freely accessible through the University of Toronto’s TSpace repositoryThis self-study thesis records and illustrates my narrative journey and expresses the knowledge I have gained from my reconstructed stories of personal experiences. Throughout this reflective journey, I have followed the four directions of narrative inquiry, inward and outward, backward and forward; as outlined by Connelly and Clandinin (1994). Written in narrative form, this thesis has allowed me to retrace many emotional connections to my memories, stories, and personal artefacts (poems, photographs, letters, and drawing) all, which inspired me to build toward a more meaningful (re)construction of my roles and identity as a woman. I have named this personal transformation the Evolution of Self, as through writing my experience down, I have come to know the profound impact of personal research. Narrative inquiry is now a seminal aspect of my daily life. It is my hope that my words encourage others to revisit their stories and consider narrative for its potential to challenge and awaken concepts of Self.M.Ed