Changing Interpretations of a Place by an Individual with Aphasia

A Study on an Untold Life-story

Abstract

This longitudinal study on a life-story examines the manner in which an individual with aphasia, from whom rich verbal data cannot be obtained, experiences the place where he resides. The author examined the individual's images in snapshots, together with data obtained from direct observation, interviews with the individual, and interviews with the people around him in order to understand his relationships at the vocational aid center where he had been attending for a decade. The analysis revealed the place had three interpretations― landscape, container, and net. The individual appears to understand the environment and himself and behaves according to the interpretation that he draws. Although studies on life-stories tend to rely solely on interview data, the method implemented in this case made extensive use of visual data, and therefore, it could stimulate to the future development of research methodology.