Stories Matter

Stories Matter examines the many ways that narrative methods of analysis and interpretation are transforming the work of medicine and ethics. The contributors-philosophers, literary scholars, psychologists, and physicians-offer new understandings of the implications of stories for the ethical practice of medicine. The book’s double attention to theory and practice provides both clear conceptual content and a practical guide to using narrative ethics in the service of patients and their families. The doctor patient relationship starts with a story. Doctors’ notes, a patient’s chair, the recommendations of ethics committees and insurance justifications all hinge on written and verbal narrative interaction. The “practice” of narrative profoundly affects decision making, patient health and treatment and the everyday practice of medicine. In this edited collection, the contributors provide conceptual foundations, practical guidelines and theoretical considerations central to the practice of narrative ethics.

Author Biography

Rita Charon, M.D. is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and Director of the Program in Humanities and Medicine at Columbia University. Martha M. Montello is Associate Professor of History and the Philosophy of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical School.