Podcast TCCR #012 - The internal structure of a Cognosystemic Narrative System

This episode dives into the structural core of the "Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction" (TCCR), offering a precise analysis of how a narrative is internally composed. Far from being a vague or anecdotal story, the narrative—within the TCCR framework—is understood as a complex cognosystemic structure that organizes human experience. This episode is essential for equipping Social Work with rigorous tools for narrative analysis.

Narrative as a Cognosystemic Structure

The TCCR conceives narrative as a functional unit within the Cognosystem: an articulated structure that allows for the understanding, classification, recollection, and intervention in psychosocial experience. It is not a mere sequence of sentences, but a system composed of specific elements that interact dynamically.

The Eight Components of a Cognosystemic Narrative

This episode details the foundational elements that constitute any narrative within the Cognosystem:

1. The experience: the lived event that gives rise to the narrative.

2. Perceptions and emotions: tied to that experience.

3. The context: the situated conditions in which it occurs.

4. Propositional content: the semantic core of the narrative.

5. Cognitive evaluation: the argumentative body that supports it.

6. Epistemic stance: the subject’s position toward the narrative (certainty, doubt, belief, etc.).

7. Narrative purpose: the intention or meaning guiding the story.

8. Narrative function: the role it plays within the Cognosystem and in psychosocial life.

A System Within the System

These elements do not operate in isolation but as parts of a self-contained system. Internal feedback loops emerge: for instance, an epistemic stance of certainty may reinforce cognitive evaluation, or an emotional mandate may consolidate an ethical judgment. Each narrative is, in itself, a dynamic, self-regulating system.

Central and Peripheral Narratives

Within a Cognosystem, not all narratives carry the same weight. Central narratives structure long-standing identities, relationships, and practices. They are more resistant to change and often span multiple ecosystemic levels. Peripheral narratives, by contrast, are more flexible, contextual, and adaptable.

A Tool for Social Work Intervention

Understanding this narrative structure enables practitioners to:

- Analyze conflicts of meaning within individuals, families, or communities.

- Detect critical components for intervention, such as oppressive mandates or obstructive purposes.

- Design narrative re-signification strategies that promote agency, healing, or relational transformation.

Link to Cognosystemic Memes

Each narrative component may contain cognosystemic memes—minimal units of meaning that circulate, replicate, or transform across levels of the Cognosystem. This allows narratives to have an impact not only at the individual level but also socially and culturally.

The episode concludes with a central affirmation for the TCCR: A narrative is not merely “what someone tells.” It is a complex structure that organizes the lived world.

Understanding it with rigor is essential for a professional practice that is critical, ethically grounded, and scientifically sound.

Listen and transform how you read and intervene in the narratives that shape psychosocial reality.

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