Chapter 40

In this chapter, the ideas of French social scientist Michel de Certeau are discussed. De Certeau believes the content of the media for the most part is narratives. Narratives (stories) can be found in all types of media from journalism to television. As mentioned in previous chapters, people relate a lot of the things in their lives to stories and it is a way to express oneself. De Certeau uses the term imprint to describe how the different narratives we see and hear affect us. He also mentions how different narratives are used in order to help people deal with needs they may have. This can also be related to a previous chapter in which Bruno Bettelheim discusses how fairy tales play an important role in young children’s lives in dealing with unconscious problems they may face. Narratives come in the form of many different genres as well, however it is important to realize that different genres all have a narrative structure to them that play a role in shaping a person’s ideas and attitudes.