| dc.description.abstract | The
lived
experiences
of
the
family
of
a
Traumatic
Brain
Injury
(TBI)
survivor
is
an
under
represented,
yet
growing
field
of
qualitative
psychological
research.
This
thesis
used
a
case
study
approach
with
a
family
in
which
one
member
sustained
TBI
thirteen
years
previously.
Using
conversational
unstructured
interview
techniques,
I
participated
with
the
family
in
eliciting
public
narratives
around
their
experiences
since
the
accident.
These
public
stories
were
also
thickened
by
individual
interviews,
which
both
supported
and
contradicted
the
public
narratives.
In
the
analysis
I
found
two
major
narrative
lines,
the
first
of
which
was
the
baby-‐
narrative
which
held
that
the
injured
person
must
not
be
injured
any
further
in
word
or
deed
and
must
be
protected
at
all
time.
The
second
dominant
narrative
was
the
fighting-‐narrative,
which
was
characterised
by
language
and
actions
around
fighting/battling
on
behalf
of
the
injured
person
against
uncaring
‘others’.
Several
important
suppressed
or
counter
narratives
emerged
during
the
individual
interviews,
which
could
not
be
spoken
about
publically.
I
conclude
that
the
power
of
the
two
dominant
narratives
is
fuelled
by
constant
rehearsal
and
enactment,
which
actually
freezes
the
family
and
does
not
allow
it
to
move
forward.
Suppressed
stories
are
discussed
as
a
possible
avenue
for
therapeutic
growth
and
for
the
evolution
of
the
family
story
as
they
age. | en_US |
