A Commentary on Aguirre: Taking Narrative Seriously

I explore the incorporation of the narrative approach in sociology, the role of sociologist as narrator, and why this approach is unsettling to traditional sociology, where tension exists between the postmodern implications of a narrative approach and our empiricist assumptions. A narrative approach represents an epistemological shift and should force us to interrogate the crucial role played by narrative in the construction of reality. Affirmative action provides a perfect example, as sociologists actively define and construct what constitutes affirmative action through narrative. I argue that taking narratives seriously is key to confronting anti—affirmative action narratives and denaturalizing white privilege.