The fog of words: Assessing the problematic relationship between strategic narratives, (master) frames and ideology

2020 ◽  
pp. 175063522096562
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Coticchia ◽  
Andrea Catanzaro
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Complex Relation ◽  
Problematic Relationship ◽  
Strategic Narratives ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Narrative Literature ◽  
Four Levels

A growing body of the International Relations (IR) literature has started to pay attention to the concept of ‘strategic narratives’, stressing the role played by storylines in affecting public attitudes. However, the analytical differences between concepts like strategic narratives, master narratives, frames, framing and master frames have been rarely investigated through a comprehensive approach. Very different definitions and perspectives have been adopted in the IR scholarly debate and beyond, while few studies have identified how ideologies underlie frames and narratives. This article aims at filling this gap and makes two claims. First, the process of plot formation, their strategic dimension and the levels at which narratives operate are the special features that distinguish strategic narratives from all other concepts. Second, only by unpacking – from an interdisciplinary perspective – the complex relation between ideology and narratives can we understand the proper conceptual boundaries in the narrative literature. In sum, there are four levels of discourse to be considered: frame, strategic narrative, master narrative and ideology.

IR, imperialism, and the Global South: From Libya to Venezuela

Politics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026339572110612
Author(s):  
Matteo Capasso
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
International Relations ◽  
International Political Economy ◽  
Global South ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
Capitalist Development ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
The World ◽  
Growing Body

This article brings together two cases to contribute to the growing body of literature rethinking the study of international relations (IR) and the Global South: The Libyan Arab al-Jamāhīrīyah and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Drawing on media representations and secondary literature from IR and international political economy (IPE), it critically examines three main conceptual theses (authoritarian, rentier, and rogue) used to describe the historical socio-political formations of these states up to this date. Mixing oil abundance with authoritarian revolutionary fervour and foreign policy adventurism, Libya and Venezuela have been progressively reduced to the figure of one man, while presenting their current crises as localized processes delinked from the imperialist inter-state system. The article argues that these analyses, if left unquestioned, perpetuate a US-led imperial ordering of the world, while foreclosing and discrediting alternatives to capitalist development emerging from and grounded in a Global South context. In doing so, the article contributes to the growing and controversial debate on the meanings and needs for decolonizing the study of IR.

Forum: Nonuse of Nuclear Weapons in World Politics: Toward the Third Generation of “Nuclear Taboo” Research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Smetana ◽  
Carmen Wunderlich
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Large N ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Depth Interviews

Abstract That nuclear weapons have not been used in war since 1945 is one of the most intriguing research puzzles in the field of international relations. It has sparked a fruitful scholarly debate: Can the persistence of the nonuse of nuclear weapons be understood with reference to a normative “taboo” subject to a constructivist logic of appropriateness, or does it rather constitute a prudent tradition based on a logic of consequences as rationalist scholars would have it? Recently, a study by Daryl Press, Scott Sagan, and Benjamin Valentino provided further impetus for this debate and opened up a “second generation” of “taboo” research. Unlike the first generation, the second wave examined attitudes toward nuclear use among the general public rather than elite decision-makers and used large-N experimental surveys rather than in-depth interviews and archival research. In particular, these studies raised several methodological questions on how to capture the “atomic aversion”: Is it meaningful to examine public attitudes in order to grasp the validity of the nuclear “taboo” (as opposed to elite perspectives) and can we infer a weakening of the normative aversion toward nuclear use from public surveys? Bringing together the pioneers of the original debate as well as more recent contributors, this special forum seeks to take stock of the progress that has been made by discussing the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological underpinnings of the research on the nonuse of nuclear weapons. Specifically, the contributions critically reflect upon the second wave of nuclear taboo scholarship with the overall aim to build bridges between different theoretical approaches and to identify avenues for further research in this area. Ultimately, this forum seeks to present the relevance of re-envisioning nuclear taboo research to a broader audience.

scholarly journals A Survey of Information Entropy Metrics for Complex Networks

Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1417
Author(s):  
Yamila M. Omar ◽  
Peter Plapper
Keyword(s):  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Complex Networks ◽  
Information Entropy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Narrative Literature ◽  
Narrative Literature Review ◽  
Further Development

Information entropy metrics have been applied to a wide range of problems that were abstracted as complex networks. This growing body of research is scattered in multiple disciplines, which makes it difficult to identify available metrics and understand the context in which they are applicable. In this work, a narrative literature review of information entropy metrics for complex networks is conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Existing entropy metrics are classified according to three different criteria: whether the metric provides a property of the graph or a graph component (such as the nodes), the chosen probability distribution, and the types of complex networks to which the metrics are applicable. Consequently, this work identifies the areas in need for further development aiming to guide future research efforts.

Effective strategic narratives? Italian public opinion and military operations in Iraq, Libya, and Lebanon

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Coticchia
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Public Opinion Surveys ◽  
Strategic Narratives ◽  
The Military

Public attitudes are greatly shaped by the cohesiveness of the strategic narratives crafted by policy-makers in framing the national involvement in war. The literature has recently devoted growing attention toward the features that define successful strategic narratives, such as a consistent set of objectives, convincing cause–effect chains, as well as credible promises of success. This paper provides an original framework for ‘effective strategic narratives’ for the case of Italy. The military operations undertaken by Italian armed forces in Iraq, Lebanon, and Libya represent the cases through which the framework is assessed. Drawing on content and discourse analysis of political debates and data provided by public opinion surveys, this paper explores the nature of the strategic narratives and their effectiveness.

Historiography and narration in transnational history

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Christina L. Knudsen ◽  
Karen Gram-Skjoldager
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Narrative Theory ◽  
Sociology Of Knowledge ◽  
Transnational History ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Narrative Structures ◽  
The Social ◽  
Growing Body

AbstractThe ‘transnational turn’ has been one of the most widely debated historiographical directions in the past decade or so. This article explores one of its landmark publications: The Palgrave dictionary of transnational history (2009), which presents around 400 entries on transnational history written by around 350 authors from some 25 countries. Drawing on narrative theory and the sociology of knowledge, the article develops an extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of the most prominent narrative structures that can be found across the Dictionary, thus piecing together a coherent historiographical portrait of the book's many and multifarious entries. In doing so the article wishes to demonstrate a possible methodology for analysing the growing body of reference works – in the form of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and handbooks – that are currently mushrooming in expanding research areas across the social sciences and the humanities such as international relations, governance, and globalization studies.

scholarly journals The Evolution of International Policing in the Pacific: a Critical Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Bronwin M. Boswell
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Crime Prevention ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Police Services ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Growing Body

<p>I have been involved in policing and crime prevention for many years. I was a sworn member of Victoria Police (Australia), a crime prevention coordinator in a New Zealand community, and am currently employed by New Zealand Police (NZP). My interest in international policing grew as I realised more and more police were serving in a number of roles overseas. At first, I thought this a nice departure from normal duties for those lucky enough to take up opportunities to contribute to policing in other countries. Deeper thought followed about the juxtaposition of western models of policing, international relations and the customs of developing countries. The more I tried to find out the more questions were raised. Soon it was evident that little had been written about international policing and even less about international policing in relation to the Pacific. The need for research that combines the study of cross-border policing of crime and criminality with international relations scholarship has been identified by Peter Andreas and Ethan Nadelmann in their 2006 co-authored book. A growing body of literature examines policing and development in the Pacific, but is mainly centred on conflicts in Melanesia with particular emphasis on the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI). Apparently, no single work discusses the needs of police services in the Pacific in relation to domestic policing and international cooperation. This work seeks to fill that gap.</p>

scholarly journals Narrating Global Order and Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 94-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Levinger ◽  
Laura Roselle
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Global Order ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
International Context ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Order And Disorder ◽  
Political Purpose ◽  
Strategic Narratives

This thematic issue addresses how strategic narratives affect international order. Strategic narratives are conceived of as stories with a political purpose or narratives used by political actors to affect the behavior of others. The articles in this issue address two significant areas important to the study of international relations: how strategic narratives support or undermine alliances, and how they affect norm formation and contestation. Within a post-Cold War world and in the midst of a changing media environment, strategic narratives affect how the world and its complex issues are understood. This special issue speaks to the difficulties associated with creating creative and committed international cooperation by noting how strategic narratives are working to shape the Post-Cold War international context.

scholarly journals THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IN TRAINING PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR STUDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Yu. Yusupova ◽  
Diana V. Tyabina ◽  
Svetlana G. Kolpakova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Political Geography ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Language Training ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Conceptual Apparatus ◽  
Individualized Approach ◽  
Training Professional

The initial professional language training of future specialists in the sphere of International Relations includes enriching the vocabulary through learning the terms of physical and political geography. The study of specific terminology is the task of a foreign language integrated learning course, within the framework of which students can obtain knowledge of both the naming (foreign language) and the substantive (subjective) aspects of the profile conceptual apparatus. To implement the integrated language course, the present study used a comprehensive approach and a method of a three-step lesson. These methods allowed the use of an individualized approach to deal with significant volumes of vocabulary, its semantic and grammatical features.

Manipulating post-Soviet nostalgia: contrasting political narratives and public recollections in Central Asia

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timur Dadabaev
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Narratives ◽  
Depth Interviews

AbstractThe vision of the Soviet years in post-Soviet republics varies depending on the government's official master narrative, foreign policy priorities, and general public perceptions of the past. By contrasting the published interviews of presidents Putin, Nazarbayev, and Karimov and the outcomes of in-depth interviews with the elderly public in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan), this paper reveals the differences between the official master narratives of political leadership (positive or negative) with respect to the Soviet past and public attitudes. This paper aims to demonstrate that the narratives of political leaders/governments and public recollections coexist in the same social space in parallel to each other. While governments attempt to use their narratives to promote certain policy goals, people use their nostalgic recollections to make sense of the social changes in their respective countries and use such recollections to interpret their lives.

Is a Pedagogy of Indigenous Solidarity Possible in the International Relations Theory Classroom?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Khalid ◽  
Mark McMillan ◽  
Jonathan Symons
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
First Nations ◽  
International Relations Theory ◽  
Class Discussion ◽  
Discursive Practices ◽  
Colonial State ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Critical Attention ◽  
Indigenous Perspectives

Abstract How should teachers of international relations in settler-colonial states engage with First Nations’ sovereignty claims? While a growing body of recent scholarship explores how teaching might acknowledge and move beyond the discipline's racist and colonial origins, less research investigates how pedagogy might rectify inattention to Indigenous sovereignty. This paper reports on a class activity that sought to highlight how the discipline's foundational assumptions can naturalize Indigenous dispossession. In the class, students were asked to conduct discourse analysis of debates surrounding the “Uluru Statement from the Heart,” and to consider practices of Indigenous transnationalism. Although students generally succeeded in identifying how discursive practices consolidate the authority of the settler-colonial state, class discussion tended to reproduce the state's justificatory narratives and to classify First Nations’ claims as akin to those of any other ethnic minority. At a time when many universities are seeking to embed more Indigenous content within curriculum, we reflect on how the activity revealed epistemic colonialism's operation within educational settings. We argue that in addition to introducing Indigenous perspectives and knowledges, it is valuable for teaching in settler-colonial states to focus critical attention onto non-Indigenous practices that reproduce systemic injustice.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document