Neil Postman: “The Great Narrative”

Neil Postman, in his THE END OF EDUCATION, provides an excellent insight into the importance of a “great narrative” as a fundamental necessity of any community. All shared narratives, according to Postman:

“…….tell of origins and envision a future, a story that constructs ideals, prescribes rules of conduct, provides a source of authority, and, above all, gives a sense of continuity and purpose…..one that has sufficient credibility, complexity, and symbolic power to enable one to organize one’s life around it…….one that provides people with a sense of personal identity, a sense of a community life…..Our genius lies in our capacity to make meaning through the creation of narratives that give point to our labors, exalt our history, elucidate the present, and give direction to our future.”

What existing public school, college or university in the U.S. offers a narrative that approaches the power described by Postman? Certainly, in an earlier era, there were many learning institutions in the U.S. that were founded on strong religious narratives, but in contemporary times, what shared narratives are left? And, if a narrative is missing, could this be a clue to the seemingly moribund condition of many educational institutions in America? Could this be a clue to the extraordinary drop out rate in American high schools? Could this be a clue to the unrequited spiritual yearnings of many students in contemporary higher education? And, could this be a clue to the entrenched individualism and conspicuous consumption that is the acknowledged trademark of American society?

When, for example, public schools do not provide a narrative for their students, is it really a surprise to see alternative narratives emerge around gangs, MTV, the celebrity culture, and trend-setting commercial advertising campaigns?

If gangs can have a perceived shared narrative; if MTV can project a shared narrative; if the celebrity culture can reflect a shared narrative; and if the corporate world, through a massive annual expenditure of funds can generate alternative narratives that motivate their audiences, why is education sitting on its hands with no narrative that grips its audience. And, why does the academic community resist helping its students to develop their own unique personal shared narratives?

A sad commentary about the American school system is the debate about character education. Some claim that character, ethics, morality, and the like, are missing in much of today’s youth and must be taught in the schools as if these concepts can be transformed into academic subject matter. Following conventional logic, character education can then, in accordance with principles of scientific inquiry, be broken down into its “elements” and defined accordingly, in the hope of personal internalization. But, Postman would say that students have to be moved first by a shared narrative—from religion, from parents, from mentors, from somewhere—–to provide the foundation for good character. And, absent a compelling narrative, no series of classroom presentations is going to suffice as a substitute. Why? Because, only by developing his or her own unique personal shared narrative can each student acquire the power to move to a higher purpose than self-absorption or apathy.

A preliminary shared narrative could be to build practicum learning environments to enable its students: (i) to better understand the actions of key figures and the workings of institutions surrounding them and, (ii) for themselves, as well as for society at large, to learn to adapt and to improvise under prevailing conditions to insure the advance of humankind in a safe, civil and sustaining manner. The source of authority for this narrative is the belief that it is most fundamental duty of the present generation to hand the baton of authority to the next generation through a sound educational process that preserves the safe, civil and sustainable advance of humankind.

Furthermore, the great narrative must be designed to facilitate each student’s creation of his or her own personal narrative, a narrative that will be unique to each student in the spirit of freedom of belief.