Small stories, great meanings. Narration, identity and interaction in hand-written newspapers

Authors

• Kirsti Salmi-Niklander Helsingin yliopisto

Abstract

The article is based on hand-written newspapers as an alternative medium in 19th and early 20th-century Finland. The focus is on local event narratives, in which writers depict recent events in their communities. The purpose of the article is to relate the analysis of local event narratives with recent narrative research oriented to “small stories”. As a case study I analyze three stories about local fairs, which were published in the hand-written newspapers of student organizations and popular movements in 1886, 1891 and 1906. “Small stories”-oriented research has focused on contemporary case studies based on interviews and fieldwork. The application of this methodology to historical and written materials is challenging and requires modification of the analytic model. However, focusing on small stories and local event narratives provides possibilities for innovative re-readings of historical materials and the analysis of interactive processes.