Introducing ‘Narrative in Critical Discourse Studies’

Given that narratives are everywhere, this special issue aims to contribute to the field of Critical Discourse Studies (CDS, also known as Critical Discourse Analysis) by (a) considering the concept of narrative and showcasing some of its uses in CDS, (b) arguing for its prominent consideration within conceptual architectures in CDS, and (c) illustrating emancipatory potentials of the narrative form in line with CDS’ critical impetus. Indeed, while CDS has long analysed stories, the concept of narrative is employed in a variety of ways, at times lacking a clear definition and being insufficiently demarcated from other key concepts, e.g. discourse. In response, I start with a brief introduction to narrative before illustrating its presence in some CDS studies, and closing with an outline of contributions to this special issue. Although these contributions neither depart from nor arrive at one single understanding of narrative in CDS, they acknowledge the significance of narrative in social life and for critical, discourse-analytical work. The authors therefore also encourage the reader to consider further the various uses of the concept of narrative in our work, the roles that narratives play in our lives and the ways in which narratives can change our world.