Narrative Repair of Threatened Identity

In terms of positioning theory (Harré & van Langenhove, 1999), a person who has lost a contest may be said to have been forcibly positioned as a ‘loser.’ This threat to social identity requires some repair. Narrators may then tell stories in which they re-position themselves and other actors—collaborators, judges, publics—in new plots (“the real story”) that exonerate them and repair their threatened social identities. This narrative positioning of the other is also a reflexive positioning of the self, and comprises a careful crafting of one’s persona. These dynamics are explored in stories about carnival contests celebrated annually in Andalucía, Spain. In these contests, minstrel groups prepared for months in advance compete with one another for formal prizes before singing their repertoire on the streets. Narratives of identity repair are examined from the autores (directors) of groups that have lost in these contests. (Narrative Identity, Positioning Theory, Conversation Analysis, Carnival, Spain)