Grand Narratives

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Grand narratives are perceptions that shape our impression of the world around us. Some of our cultural narratives are myths that can interfere with our ability to address social problems effectively. Nassim Nicolas Taleb coined the term the narrative fallacy to characterize the tendency for individuals or groups of people to bind isolated facts together into an explanation that gives the illusion of a true understanding. The purpose of this tree is identify and understand myths that undermine social progress and strategies to subvert or change these narratives. Jan 10

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American Exceptionalism

At our latest live session of Howard Rheingold’s course Introduction to Cooperation Theory we discussed about narratives in the US and Europe about competition and cooperation. A European participant suggested that the narrative in the US is about competition, while in Europe cooperation is a more common theme. The American Howard Rheingold expressed doubts about this opposition: the US and Europe are big places with huge internal differences, and where different narratives co-exist. https://www.mixedrealities.com/2011/10/17/are-we-building-a-new-grand-narrative-or-are-grand-narratives-things-of-the-past/

Are we building a new grand narrative, or are grand narratives things of the past?

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=drury_29_4

Council for Secular Humanism

Exactly one hundred and fifty years ago, John Stuart Mill published On Liberty , Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species , and Karl Marx published the Preface to a Critique of Political Economy (all 1859). So, in 2009, we celebrate (or lament) the 150th anniversary of the roles played by these three big ideas in our history—liberalism, Darwinism, and communism. Despite their apparent differences, these are all “grand narratives” that belong to the same Zeitgeist , and grand narratives are both dangerous and puerile and should be abandoned.

Op-Ed: A National Strategic Narrative and Grand Strategy for the 21st Century

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/index.cfm/articles/A-National-Strategic-Narrative-and-Grand-Strategy-for-the-21st-Century/2011/7/1 Op-Ed: A National Strategic Narrative and Grand Strategy for the 21st Century
http://www.radicalmiddle.com/x_history.htm

New U.S. or American History Narratives and Syntheses

Issue No. 108 (June 2007) -- Mark Satin, Editor Re-inventing American history
http://missionextension.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/the-value-of-grand-organizational-narratives/

The Value of Grand Organizational Narratives | Mission Extension: The Weblog

Okay, I admit it: I’m obsessed with the big picture. But that’s not surprising.
Applies narrative analysis to the study of social movements. Despite the amount of storytelling in social movements, little attention has been paid to narrative as a form of movement discourse or as a mode of social interaction. http://www.sunypress.edu/p-3478-stories-of-change.aspx

Stories of Change

http://www.vexen.co.uk/countries/best.html Which countries set the best examples to the rest of the world?

Which Countries Set the Best Examples?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_justification

System justification

System justification theory (SJT) is a scientific theory within social psychology that proposes people have a motivation to defend and justify the status quo , even when it may be disadvantageous to certain people.

What the Occupy Protests Mean: A TIMN Interpretation (Part II)

http://twotheories.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-occupy-protests-mean-timn.html [UPDATE — December 27, 2011: I’ve edited a bit, mostly to add a few new readings to the addendum, and to link to just-posted Part III.

#OccupyDemocracy

On November 3rd occupiers amassed in an Oakland “general strike,” shutting down the entire port of Oakland for several hours.
In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: Look, I understand that some people find the notion that we've become an oligarchy — with all that implies about class relations — disturbing.

Theory & Event - This Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit

The recession has caused a significant economic adjustment, including a realignment of assets and the demand and supply of talent.

The myths of the "self-made man" and meritocracy

When Mitt Romney Came To Town — Full, complete version

This is an interesting piece, in part because it was funded by a prominent Republican, Newt Gingrich. The growing popularity of a populist narrative that is critical of the ethics of an unregulated pro-capitalist ideology has forced Republicans to break their lines and attack each other to vie for power in the weakened party. This is good for progressives, as the failures of the neoconservative agenda are now forving them to destroy their own narratives in favor of populist friendly ones. by tor.nelson Jan 13