Orality has influenced the expansion of narrative theory in both
conceptual and methodical area. Narrative theories after structuralism
have payed attention to dynamic power of telling stories producing
meanings, and opened up the way of new thinking about 'storytelling',
'knowledge'(savoir narratif), 'subject'(the knowing and writing subject)
and so on. Among others, this essay focuses on the two fields,
post-structural text theory and narrative inquiry. Contrary to common
notion, textuality is so connected to orality in the sense of deconstructing
authority of written 'book' and it's 'author'. Post-structural text theory
shows the potentiality of orality that critically reflects on modern literacy.
On the other hand, narrative inquiry stands for orality more clearly in
conceptual and medial aspect. Narrative inquiry is not only using the
means of storytelling(interview, conversation, life story etc.), but also
heading for narrative knowledge which regains the connection between
life and knowledge, against modern knowledge that is abstract and
context-free. It takes relational perspective which regards highly mutual
interaction and empathic bond between researchers and research
participants. Narrative inquiry also exposes researcher's longing and
passion for ethical practice and social participation. This essay explains these aspects concretely through the examples of narrative therapy and
narrative medicine. That is important in order to grope for various
cross-disciplinary studies and practices based on profound understanding
of the relation between narrativity and orality.