Voices from the edges : tellings of women's spirituality narratives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Abstract

There has been an absence of women's accounts of their experiences in traditional psychology. There has also been an absence of psychological interest in spirituality. However, there appears to be an increased interest, particularly within feminist and social constructionist approaches. This thesis contributes the voices of nine women from Aotearoa/New Zealand as they tell themselves and their spirituality. Four narratives are identified: journey/searching; self-knowing; life trauma/choice point, and fighting for life narratives. The researcher investigates the subject positions produced in these narratives and considers the effects of these subject positions on enabling and constraining women's accounts of spirituality. The narrative approach used in the analysis is informed by Labov's narrative structure and experiential narrative approaches. A Foucauldian approach to power relations informs the reading and writing practice of the researcher.