Interpretivism—Valuing the Unfolding Lives and Stories of Young Families

Storytelling and oral history is embedded in, and a notable part of, the practices and culture of many tribes, and families across generations, and through time. Stories serve a range of purposes, including passing on practices, history, values, and the meanings and interpretations of life events. Valuing the storied lives of young families opens up new research spaces, where the focus becomes one of gaining insights into how families make sense of their social worlds whilst also giving voice and honouring the personal experiences, practices, and environments of others. When families are offered the opportunity to recount and provide narratives about their domestic lives, they draw from an interpretive frame that reflects their understandings of their contexts and the contexts of others in their social world. This chapter focusses more specifically on the value of interpretivism as a lens for seeking to understand young families.