The Battle of Words. Uncovering the Narratives of the Conflict in Ukraine
(2023) SOCM04 20231Department of Sociology
Sociology
- Abstract
- What if the true battleground lies not in the physical confrontations but in the complex realm of narratives? This study explores the use of narratives employed by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy while shedding light on their techniques and the construction of competing narratives in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. Drawing on narrative theory and Philip Smith's narrative genres, the study aims to examine the leaders’ competing understandings and their use of emotions and notions of threat in relation to the Ukrainian conflict. The research problem revolves around the role of political discourse in the narrative construction and legitimation of war. Through a comparative narrative analysis of Putin and Zelenskyy’s public... (More)
- What if the true battleground lies not in the physical confrontations but in the complex realm of narratives? This study explores the use of narratives employed by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy while shedding light on their techniques and the construction of competing narratives in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. Drawing on narrative theory and Philip Smith's narrative genres, the study aims to examine the leaders’ competing understandings and their use of emotions and notions of threat in relation to the Ukrainian conflict. The research problem revolves around the role of political discourse in the narrative construction and legitimation of war. Through a comparative narrative analysis of Putin and Zelenskyy’s public speeches, the study attempts to examine how they construct their objectivity, legitimacy, and appeal to cultural and historical aspects to frame their narratives. The findings highlight the contrasting points of view and strategic framing, with Putin emphasising Russian exceptionalism, historical kinship, and resistance to Western hegemony through character moral polarisation, while Zelenskyy focuses on presenting and encouraging unity, resilience, and the fight for justice. By unravelling the narrative strategies employed by the leaders, the study sheds light on the power dynamics, ideological contests, and cultural dimensions at play in the Ukrainian conflict. In particular, it emphasises how the portrayal of threat and emotion work together in their narratives. The findings are significant in advancing our understanding of the role of these political leaders who use storytelling techniques to influence public opinion, construct collective identities, and justify their actions in times of this crisis. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- What if conflicts are rooted in the stories people tell? This study looks at the speeches given by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while revealing their methods for creating narratives surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. Using narrative theory and Philip Smith's (2005) narrative genres, the study examines the leaders’ competing understandings and their use of emotions and notions of threat. The study centres on the function of political speech in justifying and constructing a narrative of war. The analysis examines how they build trust, credibility, and cultural references to shape their stories. The research reveals the opposing perspectives and rhetorical techniques used by Putin and Zelenskyy. Putin creates a divide between... (More)
- What if conflicts are rooted in the stories people tell? This study looks at the speeches given by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while revealing their methods for creating narratives surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. Using narrative theory and Philip Smith's (2005) narrative genres, the study examines the leaders’ competing understandings and their use of emotions and notions of threat. The study centres on the function of political speech in justifying and constructing a narrative of war. The analysis examines how they build trust, credibility, and cultural references to shape their stories. The research reveals the opposing perspectives and rhetorical techniques used by Putin and Zelenskyy. Putin creates a divide between good and evil, emphasising Russian exceptionalism, historical kinship and resistance to Western hegemony. While Zelenskyy focuses on portraying and promoting unity, resilience and the fight for justice against Russia. By examining how the leaders use stories to influence their audience, we gain insight into the power dynamics, ideological clashes, and cultural aspects underlying the Ukrainian conflict. Studying this enables us to comprehend how political figures shape the viewpoint of the public, establish common beliefs, and explain their actions through narrative during times of emergency, while simultaneously forging credibility and legitimacy. Taken together, they show that the conflict in Ukraine is power-based, ideological and involves cultural dimensions. In particular, it highlights how the portrayal of threat and emotion work together in their narratives. The conclusions are important for better understanding the role of these political leaders who use storytelling techniques to shape public opinion, create collective identities and justify their actions in times of this crisis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9135356
- author
- Perijäinen, Anneli LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- narrative criminology, presidential speech, conflict, war, emotion, threat
- language
- English
- id
- 9135356
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-29 17:00:32
- date last changed
- 2023-10-05 16:21:21
@misc{9135356,
abstract = {{What if the true battleground lies not in the physical confrontations but in the complex realm of narratives? This study explores the use of narratives employed by Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy while shedding light on their techniques and the construction of competing narratives in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. Drawing on narrative theory and Philip Smith's narrative genres, the study aims to examine the leaders’ competing understandings and their use of emotions and notions of threat in relation to the Ukrainian conflict. The research problem revolves around the role of political discourse in the narrative construction and legitimation of war. Through a comparative narrative analysis of Putin and Zelenskyy’s public speeches, the study attempts to examine how they construct their objectivity, legitimacy, and appeal to cultural and historical aspects to frame their narratives. The findings highlight the contrasting points of view and strategic framing, with Putin emphasising Russian exceptionalism, historical kinship, and resistance to Western hegemony through character moral polarisation, while Zelenskyy focuses on presenting and encouraging unity, resilience, and the fight for justice. By unravelling the narrative strategies employed by the leaders, the study sheds light on the power dynamics, ideological contests, and cultural dimensions at play in the Ukrainian conflict. In particular, it emphasises how the portrayal of threat and emotion work together in their narratives. The findings are significant in advancing our understanding of the role of these political leaders who use storytelling techniques to influence public opinion, construct collective identities, and justify their actions in times of this crisis.}},
author = {{Perijäinen, Anneli}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Battle of Words. Uncovering the Narratives of the Conflict in Ukraine}},
year = {{2023}},
}