Deck 24: Narrative Paradigm

Question 1

Fisher believes that human nature is epitomized by:

A) storytelling.
B) information gathering.
C) symbolic communication.
D) rhetoric.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is one of the assumptions of the prevailing rational-world paradigm?

A) We make decisions on the basis of good reasons.
B) People are essentially rational.
C) The type of speaker does not determine the course of the argument.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is one of the assumptions of the narrative paradigm?

A) We make decisions on the basis of good reasons.
B) People are essentially rational.
C) The type of speaker determines the course of the argument.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The ultimate test of narrative coherence is whether or not:

A) the characters act in a reliable manner.
B) the narrator has included all important information.
C) the narrator has accounted for other plausible interpretations.
D) the story is consistent with the audience's values.

Question 5

Phatic communication refers to communication aimed at:

A) passing along information.
B) maintaining relationships.
C) saying something new.
D) identifying the source's credibility.

Question 6

Fisher believes that stories can be evaluated using the twin standards of:

A) accuracy and unity.
B) emphasis and intensity.
C) coherence and fidelity.
D) reason and passion.

Question 7

According to Fisher, the ideal audience:

A) uses cultural standards to evaluate a story.
B) uses the standards of the rational-world paradigm to make decisions.
C) is guided by humane values in determining good reasons.
D) is easily persuaded, unless a paradigm shift is in place.

Question 8

Fisher uses the term ''_____'' to refer to a conceptual framework that calls for people to view events through a common interpretive lens.

A) coherence
B) rationality
C) narration
D) paradigm

Question 9

Fisher uses the term ''_____'' to refer to the internal consistency of a story with characters acting in a reliable fashion.

A) narrative paradigm
B) narrative agreement
C) narrative coherence
D) narrative fidelity

Question 10

Fisher uses the term ''_____'' to refer to the quality of a story that causes the words to strike a responsive chord in the life of the listener.

A) narrative paradigm
B) narrative fidelity
C) narrative coherence
D) narrative agreement

Question 11

Fisher holds that all forms of human communication need to be seen fundamentally as stories.

Question 12

Fisher maintains that offering good reasons has more to do with telling a compelling story than it does with piling up evidence or constructing a tight argument.

Question 13

Fisher argues that only very few types of communication are either purely descriptive or didactic.

Question 14

The narrative paradigm sees the world as a collection of logical puzzles that we can solve through rational analysis.

Question 15

According to Fisher's narrative paradigm, rationality is determined by how much we know and how well we argue.

Question 16

We seldom judge the coherence of a story by comparing it with other stories we have heard that deal with the same theme.

Question 17

Fisher argues that an ideal audience will be convinced by how concisely and rationally a speaker argues.

Question 18

Fisher believes that people have a natural tendency to prefer truthful and humane stories over stories lacking those characteristics.

Question 19

Fisher believes that everyone applies the same standards of narrative rationality to whatever stories he or she hears.

Question 20

A story has narrative fidelity when it provides a logic of good reasons to guide our future actions.

Question 21

Fisher defines ________ as "symbolic actions-words and/or deeds-that have sequence and meaning for those who live, create, or interpret them."

Question 22

The ________ is a scientific or philosophical approach to knowledge that assumes people are logical, making decisions on the basis of evidence and lines of argument.

Question 23

A story that makes rational sense but doesn't align with our values is said to have ________ but lacks ________.

Question 24

Compare and contrast the rational-world and narrative paradigms.

Question 25

Discuss and critique Fisher's definition of narration.

Question 26

For Fisher, what is the difference between good reasons and argument? Do you find this difference compelling?

Question 27

Define and illustrate the concepts of narrative coherence and fidelity.

Question 28

Fisher believes that people have a natural tendency to prefer truthful and humane stories. Does this mean that all people share the same idea of what is truthful and what is humane?

Question 29

Why might evil or wrongheaded stories be persuasive? What values might they appeal to that might not be good or humane but that might nonetheless be fundamental to human nature and communication?

Question 30

Critique Fisher's concept of the ideal audience.

Question 31

How would Burke respond to Fisher's criteria for narrative rationality? What are the good reasons behind the scapegoat and victimage? How might he respond to the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz?

Question 32

How does Fisher's theory of narrative compare to Aristotle's treatment of the example as a rhetorical form of inductive proof?

Question 33

Compare the three theories of public rhetoric featured in this textbook. What are their primary similarities and differences? Which theories do you find the most compelling, the most useful, and the most problematic?

Question 34

How does Fisher's narrative paradigm relate to the stories told and stories lived of coordinated management of meaning?

Question 35

Do you agree with Griffin's claim that Hirokawa and Gouran's functional perspective on group decision making is a perfect example of the rational-world paradigm?

Question 36

How might Geertz and Pacanowsky (and Philipsen) respond to Fisher's narrative paradigm?