Self-Authoring as Dialogue: A Narrative Study Examining Self-Authorship in Chinese University Students

• In Event: Student Learning and Development: Self-Authorship and Reflection

Abstract

This paper presents a narrative research study that examined how self-authorship was experienced and expressed in Chinese university students. The study incorporated three novel components: a) non-Western university students who were underrepresented in literature, b) a sociocultural framework with a united focus on both individual and social dynamics, and c) a dialogical narrative approach to examining students’ self-authoring journeys. The study proposed a new conception of self-authorship as an ongoing process of dialogical becoming and studied specific representations of this process through Chinese students’ narratives. This paper seeks to contribute to a more expansive and inclusive perspective on college students’ self-authorship development in diverse cultural contexts.

Authors

• Xinke Wan, University of British Columbia

• Nancy E. Perry, University of British Columbia