Multicultural and cross-cultural narrative inquiry

In this chapter the authors, one an experienced narrative inquirer and one a novice narrative inquirer, engage in a dialogue about learning and teaching narrative inquiry across languages, cultures and geographic contexts. The focus is on the advisor and advisee collaborative learning that occurs as they discuss the advisee's project. The primary purpose of the chapter is to explore the learning and teaching of narrative inquiry within research conducted with marginalized student populations in international, multicultural contexts. A form of narrative inquiry that builds on current work in narrative inquiry, termed “multicultural and cross-cultural narrative inquiry” (Phillion 2008; Phillion & M. He 2009), is discussed within the dialogue and reflection on the dialogue. This form of narrative inquiry uses critical perspectives and has an explicit social justice orientation. Key issues that narrative inquirers engaged in this form of inquiry need to consider are discussed: role of researcher, context, theory, and representation. One narrative inquiry on Hui (Muslim) minority students in P.R. China is presented to demonstrate the particular qualities of this form of inquiry. Dilemmas and concerns associated with this form of inquiry are addressed within the context of learning and teaching narrative inquiry.