Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T15:47:09.229Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Voices of Experience: Talk, Identity and Membership in Reminiscence Groups

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Kevin Buchanan  and
David Middleton
Kevin Buchanan
Affiliation:
Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Nene College, Northampton, NN2 7AL.
David Middleton
Affiliation:
Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents a discourse analysis of talk in reminiscence groups. Two main issues are addressed. First, we examine how speakers' identities are accomplished through the way they position themselves in social relationships and social practices of ‘remembered pasts’. Particular analytical attention is given to how people claim entitlements to the significance and consequences of their lived experience. Second, issues of membership are examined through the way people index their engagement in the narrative environment accomplished in reminiscence group talk. Finally, we are concerned with how these narratives contribute to a ‘reconstitution’ of understandings in common about cultural and moral orders of remembered pasts and the historical era in which the reported events, experiences and practices took place. Our analysis aims to demonstrate how reminiscence work affords a context for ‘re-membering’ where older people on their own behalf can work entitlements to voice the consequences of their experiences of life.

Keywords

Discourse analysis of reminiscence talksituated identities and membershipsre-memberingcultural and moral orders of remembered pastsvoicing experience as social action.
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 457 - 491
Copyright
Copyright Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, J. 1984 Reminiscence in the Geriatric Ward: An undervalued resource. Oral History, 12, 54–9.Google Scholar
Adams, J. 1986 Anamnesis in dementia: Restoring a personal history. Geriatric Nursing. 09/10, 6 (5), 25–27.Google ScholarPubMed
Adams, J. 1987 I remember, I remember. Geriatric Nursing and Home care, 7 (12), 9–11.Google ScholarPubMed
Adams, J. 1994 A fair hearing: Life-review in a hospital setting. In Bornat, J. (ed.) Reminiscence Reviewed Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Atkinson, D. 1994 I got put away: Group-based reminiscence with people with learning difficulties. In Bornat, J. (ed.) Reminiscence reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Atkinson, J. M. and Heritage, J., (eds) 1984 Structures of Social Action: Studies in Conversation Analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Bachar, E., Kindler, S., Schefler, G. and Lerer, B. 1991 Reminiscing as a technique in the group psychotherapy of depression: A comparative study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30, 375–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baines, S., Saxby, P., Ehlert, K. 1987 Reality orientation and reminiscence therapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 222–231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bartlett, F. 1932 Remembering: A Study in Experimental Social Psychology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Beaton, S. R. 1980 Reminiscence in old age. Nursing Forum, 19/3, 271–283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berghorn, F.J. and Schafer, D. E. 1986–1987 Reminiscence intervention in nursing homes: What changes? International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 24 (2), 113–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Billig, M. 1987 Arguing and Thinking: A Rhetorical Approach to Social Psychology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Billig, M., Condor, S., Edwards, D., Gane, M., Middleton, D. and Radley, A. 1988 Ideological Dilemmas: A Social Psychology of Everyday Thinking. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Boden, D. and Bielby, D. 1986 The way it was: Topical organisation in elderly conversation. Language and Communication, 6, 73–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornat, J. 1985 Reminiscence: The state of the art. New Age, Summer, 14–15.Google Scholar
Bornat, J. 1989 Oral history as a social movement: Reminiscence and older people. Oral History, 17 (2), 16–24.Google Scholar
Bornat, J. 1994 Reminiscence Reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Bornat, J., Philipson, C. and Ward, S. 1985 A Manifesto for Old Age. Pluto Books, London.Google Scholar
Brennan, P. and Steinberg, L. 1983–1984 Is reminiscence adaptive? Relations among social activity level, reminiscence, and morale. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 18, 99–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buchanan, K. and Middleton, D. J. 1993 Discursively formulating the significance of reminiscence in later life. In Coupland, N. and Nussbaum, J. (eds). Discourse and Lifespan Identity. Sage Publications, Newbury Park.Google Scholar
Buchanan, K. and Middleton, D. J. 1994 Reminiscence reviewed: A discourse analytic perspective. In Bornat, J. (ed.). Reminiscence Reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Butler, R. N. 1963 The life review: An interpretation of reminiscence in the aged. Psychiatry, 26, 65–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Butler, R. N. 1969 Age-Ism: Another form of bigotry. The Gerontologist, 9, 243–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buttny, R. 1993 Social accountability in communication. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Coleman, P. G. 1974 Measuring reminiscence characteristics from conversation as adaptive features of old age. International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 5, 281–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, P. G. 1986 Ageing and Reminiscence Processes. Wiley, Chichester.Google Scholar
Cook, J. B. 1984 Reminiscing: How it can help confused nursing home residents. Social Casework, 02, 90–93.Google Scholar
Coupland, J., Coupland, N., and Giles, H. 1991 Language, Society and the elderly. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Coupland, J., Coupland, N., Giles, H. and Henwood, K. 1991 Formulating age: Dimensions of age identity in elderly talk. Discourse Processes, 14, 87–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowgill, D. and Holmes, L. 1972 Ageing and Modernisation Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York.Google Scholar
Davies, B. and Harré, R. 1990 Positioning: The discursive production of selves. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 20, 43–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowd, J. J. 1975 Ageing as exchange: A preface to theory. Journal of Gerontology, 30, 584–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dowd, J. J. 1980 Exchange rates and old people. Journal of Gerontology, 35, 596–602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dowd, J. J. 1989 The old person as stranger. In Marshall, V. W. (ed.). Later Life: The Social Psychology of Aging. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Drew, P. 1987 Po-faced receipts of teases. Linguistics, 25 (1), 219–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duffin, P. 1992 Then and now: A training pack for reminiscence work. Gatehouse Books, Manchester.Google Scholar
Duffin, P. 1994 Turning talk into writing. In Bornat, J. (ed.). Reminiscence Reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Edwards, D. and Middleton, D. 1986 Joint remembering: Constructing an account of shared experience. Discourse Processes, 9, 423–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, D. and Middleton, D. 1987 Conversation and remembering: Bartlett revisited. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 1 (2), 77–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, D. and Middleton, D. 1988 Conversational remembering and family relationships: how children learn to remember. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 3–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, D. and Potter, J. 1992 Discursive Psychology. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Evers, H. 1985 The frail elderly woman: Emergent questions in ageing and women's health. In Lewin, E. and Oleson, V. (ed.). Women, Health and Healing. Tavistock, London.Google Scholar
Fielden, M. M. 1990 Reminiscence as a therapeutic intervention with sheltered housing residents: A comparative study. British Journal of Social Work, 20 (1), 21–44.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, H. 1969 Studies in Ethnomethodology. Polity Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Gibson, F. 1989 Using Reminiscence. Help the Aged, London.Google Scholar
Gibson, F. 1992) Reminiscence groupwork with older people. Groupwork, 5 (3), 28–40.Google Scholar
Goffman, E. 1981 Forms of Talk. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Goldwasser, A. N., Auerbach, S. M. and Harkins, S. W. 1987 Cognitive, affective and behavioural effects of reminiscence group therapy on the demented elderly. International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 25 (3), 209–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodwin, C. 1981 Conversational Organization: Interaction between Speakers and Hearers. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Goodwin, C. 1987 Forgetfulness as an interactive resource. Social Psychology Quarterly, 50, 115–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harré, R. 1986 Selves in talk. British Journal of Social Psychology, 25, 271–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heritage, J. 1984 Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology. Polity Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hockey, J. and James, A. 1990 Metaphors of Marginality: Ageing, Infantilisation and Personhood. Paper presented at Annual Conference of British Society of Gerontology,Durham University,22 September 1990.Google Scholar
Kiernat, J. M. 1979 The use of life review activity with confused nursing home residents. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 33, 306–31.Google ScholarPubMed
Kovack, C. R. 1990 Promise and problems in reminiscence research. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 12 (3/4), 63–84.Google Scholar
Lesser, J., Lazarus, L. W., Frankel, J. and Havasy, S. 1981 Reminiscence group therapy with psychotic geriatric inpatients. The Gerontologist, 21, 291–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, C. 1971 Reminiscing and self-concept in old age. Journal of Gerontology. 26, 240–43.Google Scholar
Liberman, M. A. and Tobin, S. S. 1983 The Experience of Old Age: Stress, Coping and Survival. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Le Gerfo, M. 1980–1981 Three ways of reminiscence in theory and practice. International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 12 (1), 39–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McMahon, A. W. and Rhudick, P.J. 1964 Reminiscing: adaptational significance in the aged. Archives of General Psychiatry, 10, 292–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McRae, I. 1982 Growth and development for elders: Reminiscence, an underused nursing resource. Nursing Papers, 14 (1), 48–56.Google Scholar
Maynard, D. W. and Zimmerman, D. 1984 Topical talk, ritual and the social organisation of relationships. Social Psychological Quarterly, 47, 301–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mead, M. 1978 Culture and Commitment: A Study of the Generation Gap. Columbia University Press, New York.Google Scholar
Mere, R. 1992 Travelling on: Life-story telling in a psychiatric day hospital. Oral History, 20 (1), 75.Google Scholar
Mere, R. 1994 Arthos Wales: Working in hospitals. In Bornat, J. (ed.) Reminiscence Reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press, Buckingham.Google Scholar
Merriam, S. 1980 The concept and function of reminiscence: a review of research. The Gerontologist, 20, 604–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Middleton, D. and Edwards, D. (eds.) 1990 Collective Remembering. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Middleton, D. and Buchanan, K. 1991 Some rhetorical resources in remembering collectively. Multidisciplinary Newsletter for Activity Theory, 9/10, 12–19.Google Scholar
Middleton, D., Buchanan, K. and Suurmond, J. 1991 Communities of Memory: Issues of ‘Re-membering’ and Belonging in Reminiscence Work with the Elderly. Paper presented at the British Psychological Society's Psychologists Special Interest Group in the Elderly (PSIGE) Annual Conference Thriving into the Nineties,Grey College, Durham University,20th June.Google Scholar
Middleton, D. and Buchanan, K. 1993 Is reminiscence working? Accounting for the therapeutic benefits of reminiscence work with older people. Journal of Aging Studies, 7 (3), 321–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, E. J. and Gwynne, G. V. 1979 A Life Apart. Tavistock, London.Google Scholar
Molinari, V. and Reichlin, R. E. 1984–1985 Life review reminiscence in the elderly: A review of the literature. International Journal of Ageing and Human Development, 20 (2), 81–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Norris, A. D. 1986 Reminiscence with Elderly People. Winslow Press, Bicester.Google Scholar
Norris, A. D. 1989 Clinic or client? A psychologist's case for reminiscence. Oral History, Autumn 1989, 26–9.Google Scholar
Norris, A. D. and Abu El Eileh, M. T. 1982 Reminiscence groups. Nursing Times, 78, 1368–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Perrotta, P. and Meacham, J. A. 1981 Can a reminiscing intervention alter depression and self esteem? International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 14 (1), 23–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Potter, J. and Wetherell, M. 1987 Discourse and Social Psychology. Sage, London.Google Scholar
Romaniuk, M. 1981 Review: Reminiscence and the second half of life. Experimental Ageing Research, 7, 315–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryden, M. B. 1981 Nursing intervention in support of reminiscence. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 7, 461–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sacks, H. 1992 Harvey Sacks: Lectures on Conversation, Vol. 2. (Jefferson, G., ed.). Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Schrager, S. 1983 What is social in oral history? International Journal of Oral History, 4 (06), 76–98.Google Scholar
Schweitzer, P. 1994 Dramatizing reminiscence. In Bornat, J. (ed.). In Reminiscence Reviewed: Perspectives, Evaluations, Achievements. Open University Press. Buckingham.Google Scholar
Shanas, E., Townsend, P., Wedderburn, D., Friis, H., Milhoj, P. and Stehouwer, J. 1968 Old People in Three Industrial Societies. Atherton Press, New York.Google Scholar
Tannen, D. 1989 Talking Voices: Repetition, Dialogue and Imagery in Conversational Discourse. ***Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Thornton, S. and Brotchie, J. 1987 Reminiscence: A critical review of the empirical literature. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 26, 93–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, A. 1980 The social creation of poverty and dependency in old age. Journal of Social Policy, 9 (1), 49–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watt, L. M. and Wong, P. T. 1990 A taxonomy of reminiscence and therapeutic interventions. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 16, 37–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webster, J. D. and Cappeliez, P. 1993 Reminiscence and autobiographical memory: Complementary contexts for cognitive aging research. Developmental Review, 13, 54–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wetherell, M. and Potter, J. 1989 Narrative characters and accounting for violence. In Shotter, J. and Gergen, K. J., (eds). Texts of Identity. Sage, LondonGoogle Scholar
Wooffitt, R. C. 1992 Telling Tales of the Unexpected: The Organization of Factual Discourse. Harvester Wheatsheaf, Hemel Hempstead.Google Scholar