The Emergence of Narrative and the Discovery of Humanism

Curriculum and Research Lessons from the Italian Renaissance

Authors

  • Saville Kushner Drew University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v16i4.187170

Keywords:

Narrative, Curriculum, Curriculum Inquiry, Humanism, Renaissance

Abstract

This paper returns to the roots of European Humanism to rediscover the moral and political base for contemporary narrative inquiry. A brief analytical review is conducted of forms of artistic representation from C15th/C16th Florentine painting to reveal steps taken to use narrative form in the pursuit and advocacy of humanist method. This is placed within the frame of a Ricoeur (1989) four-stage typology for narrative method. The paper closes with an argument that social and educational research should be guided by Humanist principles in its aims, but also in its method – Humanist in intent, Humanist in substance.

Author Biography

Saville Kushner, Drew University

Saville Kushner is a long-standing advocate of case study and narrative inquiry, having published two single-authored books on the subject and various other books on Program Evaluation, Education and political ethics. His previous posts were as Professor of Educational Evaluation at the University of Auckland, NZ and Professor of Public Evaluation at the University of the West of England, UK. He served a two-year secondment as a UN Regional Officer for M&E. This paper reflects the extension of his interest into the Renaissance roots of European Humanism, and the methodology of preference for Renaissance Humanists, narrative.

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Published

2025-11-18

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Investigating Education, Class Antagonisms and Solidarity: Toward Critical Humanist Democratic Societies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Saville Kushner

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