A Moment Became the Season: An Exploration of Trauma Narrative within the Community Development Context

Author

Lydia Berry, Clark UniversityFollow

Date of Award

8-2017

Degree Type

Research Paper

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)

Department

International Development, Community and Environment

Chief Instructor

Laurie Ross

Second Reader

Mark Davidson

Keywords

Trauma, Narrative, Community, Development, Creativity, Agency

Abstract

This research explores current methods of psychological trauma intervention within the community development context, namely the understandings that bound the clinical and diagnostic side of trauma, and the more recent victim centered approach: the trauma informed care method. The shortcomings of these approaches is that they individually lack the ability to establish the victim back into their sense of self or community, accordingly. This research argues that a narrative approach, a process by which a survivor of trauma has full agency to express their experience, used in conjunction with existing practices can rectify the shortcomings of both methods. The researcher and author uses creative writing within this research to exemplify the power of using a combination of academic or clinical definition and creative expression to convey a fuller sense of the experience of psychological trauma.

Recommended Citation

Berry, Lydia, "A Moment Became the Season: An Exploration of Trauma Narrative within the Community Development Context" (2017). International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). 164.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/164