War Narratives

Résumé du livre

In previous U.S. wars, a central narrative has been a critical element in developing support and directing the war effort. This is not the case with the present "war on terror." Specifically, we found no evidence of a central war narrative in a sample of public administrators. The United States declared the war on terror with no established or emergent "state of war narrative." Since this had proven to be a critical element in the conduct of past wars, it may be useful to evaluate the implications of this historical condition. Of special interest will be the implications for public service employees who, given their closeness to the conduct of wartime activities, might be expected to coordinate their efforts by reference to a common war story. We begin our consideration of the absence of such a story by highlighting war as a cultural phenomenon, and then turn our attention to the important role that narratives play in shaping the actions and decisions of public administrators. We then consider the circumstances surrounding the current "war on terror" in light of the absence of a clearly articulated state of war narrative. Specifically, we will focus on the meaning of four "latent" war narratives that have filled the void and explore the impact this has had among three groups of public administrators whose work and lives are being impacted by the current state of war.