In recent years, there has been a convergence of interest on narratives and lives from many qualitative and interpretative strands in the social sciences: sociology and anthropology, health and nursing studies, educational research, cultural and communication analysis, cultural geography and the emergent fields of discourse and narrative analyses. In some contexts this is interpreted somewhat narrowly but these volumes adopt a more inclusive approach to the topic of narrative methods to reflect the current diversity of perspectives across the different social sciences. Here the broad term ′narrative′ includes personal narratives, life histories, performances, testimonials, and memories. The aims of this compilation are to: