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Key Points
- It seems likely that dominant groups, such as those in power or with cultural influence, often shape the winning narrative, but public resonance and credibility also play key roles.
- Research suggests that when dominance shifts, narratives can change, reflecting new societal values or experiences.
- The disenchanting narrative of World War I (WWI), popularized by poets like Wilfred Owen, became dominant due to its authenticity and alignment with post-war public sentiment, overshadowing patriotic stories.
Who Determines the Winning Narrative?
The winning narrative is typically shaped by those with power, such as governments, media, or cultural elites, who can promote certain stories through institutions like education and media. However, for a narrative to truly dominate, it must resonate with the public's experiences and emotions, making it credible and fulfilling a societal need. For example, during WWI, the initial patriotic narrative was pushed by governments, but after the war, poets' disenchanting accounts, reflecting the war's horrors, gained dominance as they aligned with public disillusionment.
Why Do Some Stories Dominate?
Some stories dominate because they are promoted by influential groups, are seen as authentic, and connect with people's lived experiences. In the case of WWI, the poets' narrative became dominant because it was written by soldiers, was honest about the war's realities, and met society's need to process the trauma. This contrasts with earlier patriotic narratives, which lost credibility as the war's toll became clear.
An Unexpected Detail
While it's expected that power influences narratives, it's less obvious that cultural elites, like the literary community, can shift dominance by promoting narratives that resonate, even against initial government-backed stories, as seen with WWI poetry.
Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of Narrative Dominance and WWI Poetry
This note provides a comprehensive examination of how dominant narratives are formed, who determines them, and why certain stories, such as the disenchanting narrative of World War I (WWI) popularized by poets, overshadow competing accounts. It expands on the key points and includes detailed insights from research, historical context, and examples, aiming to mimic a professional article.
Introduction to Dominant Narratives
Dominant narratives are widely accepted stories or explanations that shape societal understanding, often promoted by the dominant social group through institutions like media, education, and culture. According to Reclaim Philadelphia's definition of dominant narrative, these narratives are frequently repeated and amplified, becoming the "water we swim in," normalized to the point of seeming objective, though they often serve the interests of the powerful. They are typically discussed alongside counter-narratives, which challenge the status quo, as noted in Wikipedia's entry on dominant narrative.
The user's query suggests that "the dominant select our dominant narratives," and when dominance changes, narratives shift. This aligns with research indicating that those in power, such as political or economic elites, can shape narratives to maintain their position, but shifts occur when new groups gain influence or public sentiment changes.
The Role of Power in Shaping Narratives
Research suggests that dominant groups, often those with political or economic power, determine winning narratives by controlling communication channels. For instance, during WWI, governments promoted patriotic narratives to support the war effort, using propaganda to encourage enlistment and sacrifice. This is evident in early war poetry, which extolled honor and duty, as seen in The Poetry Foundation's collection of WWI poetry by year, noting more patriotic poems in 1914 and 1915.
However, power isn't solely political; cultural elites, such as the literary community, can also shape narratives. After WWI, as public disillusionment grew, poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who were soldiers, wrote about the war's horrors, challenging the patriotic narrative. Their works, such as Owen's "Dulce et Decorum Est," became influential, as detailed in The History Press article on changing attitudes in WWI poetry, reflecting a shift from blind patriotism to revulsion.
Why Narratives Change with Dominance
When dominance shifts, narratives often change to reflect new societal values or experiences. The user's observation that "when dominance changes, our dominant narratives change" is supported by historical examples. For instance, post-WWI, the cultural elite, including literary figures, gained more influence in shaping memory, promoting the disenchanting narrative over government-backed patriotism. This shift was driven by the public's need to process the war's trauma, as seen in Imperial War Museums' profile of WWI poets, highlighting poets like Sassoon who protested the war's continuation.
Another example is the civil rights movement in the US, where the narrative of racial equality, initially championed by a less dominant group, became dominant as public support and legal changes shifted power dynamics. This illustrates that narratives can change when new groups gain influence and their stories resonate widely.
Case Study: WWI Poets and the Disenchanting Narrative
The user's example of WWI poets giving us the disenchanting narrative, to which "all other English-language narratives must bow," merits deeper analysis. This narrative, emphasizing the war's futility and horror, became dominant in English literature, as noted in British Literature Wiki's discussion on WWI and literature. Why did it overshadow competing stories, such as patriotic accounts?
- Credibility and Authenticity: The poets, many of whom were soldiers, wrote from first-hand experience, lending credibility. For instance, Owen's poetry, finalized in 1918, directly contradicted the Latin phrase "Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori" (it is sweet and decorous to die for one's country), as seen in The History Press article.
- Resonance with Public Sentiment: Post-war, the public's disillusionment with the war's cost made the disenchanting narrative resonate, fulfilling a societal need to mourn and understand, as discussed in Pan Macmillan's collection of WWI poetry.
- Promotion by Cultural Elites: The literary community, including publishers and educators, promoted these works, ensuring their inclusion in anthologies and curricula, as seen in The Poetry Foundation's archive, noting poetry's role in social change.
This narrative's dominance means that subsequent English-language accounts of WWI, such as novels or films, often must acknowledge or respond to it, making it the benchmark for interpretation.
Factors Determining Narrative Dominance
To generalize, why do some stories dominate? Research suggests several factors:
Factor | Description |
|---|---|
Power and Influence | Dominant groups control media, education, and culture to promote narratives. |
Credibility and Authenticity | Narratives seen as truthful, especially from credible sources, gain traction. |
Resonance with Public | Stories that align with people's experiences or emotions are more accepted. |
Societal Need or Function | Narratives that fulfill a need, like explaining trauma, become dominant. |
For example, Gamaliel Network's discussion on dominant vs. transformational narratives notes that dominant narratives often limit possibilities, while resonant counter-narratives can shift public consciousness. In WWI, the poets' narrative transformed public memory, becoming dominant due to its alignment with these factors.
Broader Implications and Contemporary Examples
The interplay between power, resonance, and societal need is evident in contemporary issues. For instance, the narrative around climate change shifted from denial to acceptance as scientific evidence and public concern grew, driven by activists and media, despite initial resistance from fossil fuel industries, as seen in Heinemann's educational resources on identifying dominant narratives.
This suggests that while dominant groups initially shape narratives, public pressure and credible counter-narratives can lead to changes, especially in democratic societies with freedom of expression.
Conclusion
In summary, the winning narrative is determined by a dynamic interplay between the dominant group's promotion and the narrative's ability to resonate with the public. For WWI, the poets' disenchanting narrative became dominant due to its credibility, resonance with post-war sentiment, and promotion by cultural elites. This case illustrates that narratives can shift when new stories meet societal needs and gain influential support, highlighting the complexity of narrative dominance.
Key Citations
