INTRACTABILITY AND MEANING MAKING NARRATIVE AS A DYNAMICAL
INTRACTABILITY AND MEANING MAKING: “NARRATIVE” AS A DYNAMICAL SYSTEM IN CONFLICT PROCESSES Sara Cobb, Ph. D. Center for the Study of Narrative and Conflict Resolution The School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution George Mason University
Heider-Simmel Experiment � http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v= 76 p 64 j 3 H 1 Ng heider simmel experiment 1944 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 2
The stories we tell are inscribed on us and our world, which then structure what stories we tell…… 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 3
Narrative Defined � Meaning structure with beginning, middle, end � Storyline (emplotment) that assigns causal connections between events & outcomes � With an evaluative point � Indexing Self/Others via value framework (Politics) � Material, mattering 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 4
(Master) Narrative Nodes in Action �Plot sequence �Character roles (voice) �Themes/values � Meaning structures materialized in action sequences 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 5
Narrative Nodes: A Closed System Plot lines Moral Frameworks Speaker Legitimacy 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 6
Narrative as Complex Adaptive System 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 7
Narrative “Entrainment”: The Development of “Attractor” 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 8
Emergence of Meaning Structures, via Narrative Attractors 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 9
Narrative Ecology and Master Narrative Resilience 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 10
Counternarrative Consolidate the Power of Attractors � Interaction between dominant and counternarratives strengthens the dominant narrative as it learns how to delegitimize those narratives, or ignore them � Marginalization persists �Damaged identities remain 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 11
The Politics of Narrative � Dominant narratives exclude, ignore and “police” discursive terrain �Marginalized narratives retreat, in silence ○ Damage identity �Deprivation of opportunity �Infiltrated consciousness �Marginalized narratives compete via counternarratives ○ Often to no avail Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 12
Narrative Compression � Refers to the process by which dominant narrative retains its coherence and avoids any destabilization by counternarratives �Erasure: erasing the MA (Marginalized Attractors) �Blending: Linking Marginalized Attractors to those anchoring the Dominant narrative �Warping Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 13
Compression �Erasure: erasing the MA (Marginalized Attractors) �Blending: Linking Marginalized Attractors to those anchoring the Dominant narrative �Warping: speaking is outlawed or polarized such that people stop talking except at the extreme poles 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 14
ISIS and the US Free will leads to shirking morality � Shirkers stray from the path mandated by the Prophet. � The caliphate will provide safety and place to return to a moral life. � 9/10/2020 ISIS kills innocents. � ISIS is barbaric/evil. � ISIS is a political group seeking to oppress others. � We are responsible for protecting innocents from becoming victims of ISIS. � Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 15
US’s Erasure, Blending and Warping � Erasure by the US of the history of oppression and the impact of the wars in the Middle East � Blending the ISIS attractors (safety) with “rule of law” in the US narrative, connecting safety to “freedom” � Warping: US forbids engagement with ISIS and constructs ISIS as evil. 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 16
Changing Narrative Dynamics in the Mirador Basin � Northern Guatemala: The Mirador Basin Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 17
The Dominant Narrative (USAID and Guatemalan Government): Fires Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 18
Master Narrative Nesting Eco Tourism Fires Theft Ineffective Forest Concessions Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 19
Concessionaires’ Narrative System Victimization Concession as livlihood “ Fires” as lies Concession as reparation 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 20
Narrative Erasure � Core attractors that anchor moral agency of group are erased by the master narrative �Concessions as reparation erased in the narrative of ecotourism 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 21
Blending Attractors � Attractors that anchor the marginalized narrative are linked to attractors in the master narrative, reframing them in the process �“livelihoods” in concessionaires’ narratives is linked to “livelihoods” in ecotourism 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 22
Warping the Narrative Field � Warping is the process whereby the space for speaking and being heard is destroyed �Rules regulate speaking ○ Legal forums �Polarization/extremism ○ Regulation is the only way to stop criminal destruction of the forest and the ruins 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 23
Increasing Dominant Narrative Complexity � Destabilizing the dominant narrative �A form of advocacy, thickening it ○ Victimization now and then � janitor jobs in the eco-tourist project ○ Democratic processes not followed �Local people were not in the planning process for the project 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 24
Increasing Marginalized Narrative Complexity � Destabilizing the marginalized narrative �Contradiction within the narrative ○ Concessionaires restricted “membership” within their own community, marginalizing a section of the locals �Opening up the voices of the marginalized in the communit 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 25
Better Because… Legitimacy Circular plots Multi-nodal value systems Legitimized characters, elaborated by all parties Thicker Narratives Learning Sara Cobb, Ph. D. Interaction Refection 26
Social Networks and Conflict Resolution From High Bonding Social To High Bridging and Capital Bonding Social Capital Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 27
Requires Destabilization of Observer’s Narratives Dominant Narrative The Observer’s Narrative (attractors) 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 28
Second-Order Cybernetics The Observing System The Observed System 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 29
Implications… � The observing system implicated in the production (entrainment) of the Observed sytem �Peacebuilding is a very political activity 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 30
Peace as a Second-Order Process � Adaptive Narrative System Platforms �“Disclosive spaces” where new attractors emerge ○ Narratives that legitimize, construct Others as moral agents actors �“Hybridization” as orthogonal to peace “blueprints” 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 31
Reducing Closure Narrative Destabilization & Narrative Evolution Alter narrative elements (closure) Altering the relations within/across narrative elements Alter narrative ecology Master /counter narrative dynamics Alter observer’s story 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 32
Generating Narrative Uncertainty � US Wargames �Based on scenarios ○ Told from omniscient perspective ○ Actant analysis shows not all characters are fully developed, and the bad guys are characterized using “rational actor” frames � Peace as a virus to the Observing System’s narrative hard drive! 9/10/2020 Sara Cobb, Ph. D. 33
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