Storytelling, Group Dynamics, and Professional Cultures: Lessons from a Focus Group Study

The social context within focus groups affects the types of stories told, and who tells them. Serendipitous findings from a focus group study in Atlantic Canada revealed different storytelling styles among various types of professionals. While recreation staff told positive stories of community engagement and personal stories of transformation, planners narrated tales of political struggle and professional frustration. The findings offer lessons about learning from research failures and demonstrate the potential utility of focus groups as a setting for research on storytelling. By illuminating differences in professional cultures, the analysis suggests that effectively managed focus groups may provide a useful venue for facilitating deliberate and reflective practice.