Abstract
All meaningful communication is a form of storytelling, according to Walter Fisher, who introduced the narrative paradigm to communication theory, and storytelling is universal across cultures and time as the manner in which people comprehend life. Storytelling is also a creative form of art. This interdisciplinary, multimedia work will explore the creative use of non-traditional storytelling to gather information about how creativity evolves in people with Alzheimer's and dementia and why this is important to both academia and the community. Currently, there is a lot of research available about the debilitating affects of memory loss, but there is very little research available about retained abilities. Perhaps, just as the blind significantly outperform the sighted in tactile experiments, there are some forms of creativity in storytelling in which people with Alzheimer's and dementia may demonstrate more ability than their fully cognizant peers. My goal is to contribute to a small but growing effort to explore "memory loss as (...) more than just memory loss" (Dr. Anne Bastings).
Notes
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Thesis Completion
2013
Semester
Spring
Advisor
Thaxton, Terry Ann
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
English
Degree Program
English; Creative Writing
Subjects
Arts and Humanities -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Humanities
Format
Identifier
CFH0004442
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Document Type
Honors in the Major Thesis
Recommended Citation
Spicer, Alice, "The service learning experience: how storytelling evolves in people with Alzheimer's and dementia and why this is important to the creative writing student and the community" (2013). HIM 1990-2015. 1466.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/1466
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