ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on narrative as a problem-solving discourse activity. Studies of narrative tend to be either cognitive or sociological. Cognitive studies focus on stories as problem-solving genres. Sociological studies focus on social consequences or social production of a story. Centralized dinner arrangements tend to promote more than co-narrated stories; they also promote opportunities for adults to exert power over children. A critical factor in determining whether or not a detective story takes on the dimensions of a paradigm shift is the uptake of listeners and their willingness to actively enter the narrating process. It is widely recognized that narratives strengthen social relationships and a general sense of co-membership by providing a medium for illustrating common beliefs, values, and attitudes of tellers and audiences. Collaboration in the form of detective storytelling is akin to scaffolding and joint problem-solving practices characteristic of American middle-class care-giver-child interactions.
