You Are Here: Narrative Construction Of Identity And Community Resilience In Newfoundland During And After 9/11

Abstract

This study focuses on the events during and after 9/11 in Newfoundland, Canada and the Broadway show, Come From Away. Generally, the purpose is to examine the long-term narrative construction of resilience after a defining event in a community’s history and explores the idea that communication and construction of a resilience narrative can function as a larger community identity. It also seeks to further the use of Boje’s (2012) theory of quantum narrative storytelling in qualitative research. This method was used to analyze interviews with 32 individuals connected with the events of 9/11 in Newfoundland in three groups. Overall, this study found that these participants not only use these narratives to shape their current lives, but to narrate themselves and the community as resilient and generous. There were two theoretical implications that suggest we can broaden the definitions of both community and resilience and that these two are narratively constructed.