Educators, scholars, and non-scholars alike will highly appreciate Donna Eder’s study (in consultation with Regina Holyan) in Life Lessons through Storytelling: Children’s Exploration of Ethics. In this book, she not only reclaims the significance of storytelling within Western culture but also reintroduces the act of storytelling into the school curriculum.
In distinguishing ethics from morals in light of the process of gaining knowledge versus received knowledge (endnote 1, chapter 2), Eder argues that children who actively participate in storytelling events face the rare opportunity to situate themselves in terms of ethical and moral issues. In addition, they are able to build and strengthen their concept of community. Eder stresses that the interpretation of fables/stories by children themselves, which not only enhances their imagination and creativity but also causes them to become socially caring people, strengthens the communities they live in. Each chapter engages the reader by presenting a tremendous amount of information about storytelling techniques in other cultures and highlighting the dynamic responses of U.S. school children while participating in a storytelling event. Thus, this book, as a cross-cultural study, convincingly shows that storytelling allows children themselves to explore ethics, and, in so doing, Eder demonstrates the need to re-introduce storytelling into the educational system, e.g., through the implementation of START (Storytelling as Reflecting Time) programs.
The book begins with an enthusiastic foreword by Gregory Cajete to whom Eder herself is in debt for his work on indigenous education. Drawing on his own scholarship, Cajete advocates the present study, declaring that storytelling is an important “vehicle for children’s social and ethical learning” (ix). Cajete’s foreword alone presents a convincing argument for the importance of the relationship between storytelling and life lessons.
Following the foreword is a brief but precise, well-structured, and informative introduction. Beginning with an excerpt of a transcription, Eder presents her main argument on “how communities can be strengthened through the use of storytelling with children” (1) when they become proactive participants through an open-ended approach in a storytelling event. By interpreting diverse fables and tales from Western and non-Western traditions, children gain knowledge about themselves and their surrounding world. Storytelling thus becomes “the vehicle for ethical exploration” (4). In the last section of the introduction, Eder provides a preview of the book’s individual chapters. The book includes three appendices that describe the method employed for conducting her study, provide examples of the interview questions, and present the different editions of Aesop’s fables that were used in storytelling events at the urban and rural schools.
In chapter 2, Eder situates storytelling in a historical context and points out how storytelling in the U.S., compared to other countries such as Mexico and Venezuela, has not only lost its significance within the educational curriculum but also lacks general support in terms of its valuable role in strengthening communities and enhancing children’s development of an ethical understanding of the world around them. Eder proposes that presenting animals as traditional key characters in fables and stories can pose life lessons for children, “teaching (them) about social responsibilities and community obligations” (11). Before elaborating on this “sociology approach,” she contrasts the social context of three traditions (Navajo, Kenyan, and European). The chapter concludes with a brief exposé on “the current debate over ethical (as the process of gaining knowledge) and moral (content of knowledge) education” (20), advocating the former over the latter because it allows for the inclusion of open-ended dialogues and is similar to Navajo and Kenyan oral traditions.
Chapter 3 provides insightful background information about the context of the oral tradition in Navajo and Kenyan cultures. Emphasizing the storytelling environment in both, Eder argues that the activity of storytelling overcomes generational boundaries while strengthening and supporting a sense of community. Employing a holistic, circular approach, stories not only illustrate that “all things have a purpose” (29) in nature but also invite all participants to be active agents in the storytelling event. However, Eder is careful to point out that whereas in Kenyan culture an open dialogue occurs in an informal setting, in Navajo culture stories are viewed as “secular, sacred” (27) and the storytelling performance is entirely limited to the Navajo culture itself. The chapter concludes with a detailed description of the design and methodology of Eder’s study, drawing attention in particular to her concept of “implicit learning” (37).
In chapter 4, Eder presents the responses of urban and rural American school children to the fables: “The Lion’s Share,” “The Lion and the Mouse,” and “The Man and the Lion.” Including multiple excerpts of insightful and, occasionally, delightful transcripts, this chapter demonstrates the children’s abilities to identify and use the animals in order to “express their views related to the issue of power and status as well as other ethical concerns” (58).
In chapter 5, the children respond to the fable “The Wolf and the Crane,” revealing their imagination and creativity in their diverse interpretations. Children, here, take their own ethical stance but also link the stories with their personal lives allowing for new morals that can be quite different from traditional ones. Thus, storytelling events can, according to Eder, provide a safe outlet for students, especially those considered “troubled,” by way of enhancing the development of problem-solving skills.
In chapter 6, Eder focuses on two Kenyan stories, “The Great Drought” and “The Hare and the Sultan,” and continues to present evidence that shows that children find multiple meanings in these fables. For example, while urban American school children concentrated on character identification, rural American school children emphasized the issue of community; however, both groups were able to connect the stories to their individual learning environment.
In chapter 7, Eder focuses on Kenyan stories, specifically on the tale of “Why Hyenas Limp,” in which attention is drawn to the traditional Kenyan associations between hyenas, selfishness, and greed. Eder shows that children not only interpreted the story in terms of revenge and the establishment of trust but also related it to their own lives. Analyzing their interpretations, it became apparent that children are able to reflect on custody concerns. On the one hand, this story in particular and the following dialogue provide insight into present family dynamics. On the other hand, however, Eder suggests that it is challenging for American children to detect traditional symbols from other cultures.
In chapter 8, Eder presents the underlying purpose of her study to “encourage others to make use of storytelling to promote children’s exploration of ethics” (119). Summarizing the presented benefits of storytelling, Eder proposes that teachers and adults will be able to learn more about the children with whom they interact. Employing “Storytelling as Reflecting Time” (START), adults not only encourage children’s active participation but also strengthen an overall sense of belonging to a community.
Chapter 9 establishes that storytelling should be integrated into the American education system because “through storytelling, people of all ages can gain valuable life lessons that will strengthen their sense of what it means to be vital and active community members” (142). Thus, it reflects on the indisputable advantages of storytelling as an educational approach that has been highly beneficial in other cultures for centuries.
Overall, in presenting the importance of storytelling in light of children’s exploration of ethics, this book is written for and accessible to a broad readership. Anyone with an interest in sociology, folklore, education, or storytelling in general will find Eder’s study and approach tremendously insightful. In the American educational curriculum, or at least in extra-curricular activities, Eder invites all of her readers to promote community through storytelling events.
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[Review length: 1260 words • Review posted on March 30, 2011]