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Article published In:
Narrative Inquiry
Vol. 24:2 (2014) ► pp.368–385

Co-constructing “We” and “Us”

Joint talk and storytelling with cohabitating couples

| University of Calgary

Using Gubrium and Holstein’s (2009) approach to narrative analysis, I examine how couples and I co-authored and co-edited shared meanings while talking about “we-ness.” I pay particular attention to my role as researcher and how I was active in inviting these conversations. I also attend to how participants and I developed joint meanings, negotiated individual and relational identities, and managed couples’ public image through processes of collaboration and control; specifically, by indicating agreement, navigating disagreements, and passing over alternative stories. Participants observed that talking about we-ness, with one another and with me, increased their sense of closeness. Thus, orienting to moments of togetherness and discussing past, present, and future experiences as a couple had implications for their understandings of “we” and “us.” I discuss the implications of my results, inviting researchers and therapists to consider how they may be active in shaping meaning- and identity-making conversations with participants and clients.

Keywords: we-ness, couples therapy, identity, relationships
Published online: 24 November 2014
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.24.2.10jon
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