Narrative warFighting terrorism by changing narratives
DARPA’s “Narrative Networks” project aims to find out how susceptible some people are to “narratives” (oral stories, speeches, propaganda, books, etc.) which might dispose them to engage in terrorist actions — and then replace such offer such people “better” narratives
DARPA, the Pentagon’s research arm, is soliciting innovative research proposals in the areas of (1) quantitative analysis of narratives, (2) understanding the effects narratives have on human psychology and its affiliated neurobiology, and (3) modeling, simulating, and sensing-especially in stand-off modalities-these narrative influences.
The research agency says that those who write proposals for this effort will be expected to “revolutionize the study of narratives and narrative influence by advancing narrative analysis and neuroscience so as to create new narrative influence sensors, doubling status quo capacity to forecast narrative influence.”
The purpose of the project, called “Narrative Networks,” is to find out how vulnerable – perhaps “susceptible” would be better here — some people are to “narratives” (oral stories, speeches, propaganda, books, etc.), and then replace such messages with “better” messages. Thus, if some people are more susceptible to narratives than other people, and if members of the vulnerable group are exposed to narratives which might lead them to engage in terrorism, then the Pentagon want to be in a position n to supplant the negative narratives with more positive ones.
“Stories are important in security contexts,” DARPA said in its 7 October solicitation. Stories “change the course of insurgencies, frame negotiations, play a role in political radicalization, influence the methods and goals of violent social movements.”
