Conclusion : theorizing turning points and decoding narratives

Abstract

The chapter frames and highlights the advances represented in the anthology Biography and Turning Points in Europe - theoretically and methodologically. It reveals the importance of integreting the notion of "event" into our comprehension of narrative - and understanding that we are not necessarily speaking of institutionalized or ritualized life courses, but turning points granted or constructed by the individual. It builds an analysis of narrative devices (for example the narrator/ character divide, the structurating factor of time and the myths and modes of narration) to illustrate the contributions in the text. It also points to the enduring sociological promise of turning points as a tool for deconstructing narratives that the subjects confer with meaning.