Narrative Politics

About this book

Narrative Politics explores two puzzles. The first has long preoccupied social scientists: How do individuals come together to act collectively in their common interest? The second is one that has long been ignored by social scientists: Why is it that those who promote collective action so often turn to stories? Why is it that when activists call for action, candidates solicit votes, organizers seek new members, generals rally their troops, or coaches motivate their players, there is so much story-telling? Frederick W. Mayer argues that answering these questions requires recognizing the power of story to overcome the main obstacles to collective action: to construct common interests in a collective good, to surmount the temptation to free ride, to assure all that each will cooperate, and to coordinate group behavior. In this book, Mayer shows that humans are, if nothing else, story-telling, story-consuming animals. We use stories to make sense of our experience and imbue it with meaning, to define our identity and establish our core values, and, to motivate and script our actions. Because we are constituted by narrative, we can be moved by the stories told to us by others. That is why leaders who call a community to action so often tell a story in which tragedy and triumph hang in the balance, in which only collective action can save the day, and in which taking part in the social drama is a moral imperative rather than a matter of calculated self-interest. Drawing on insights from many disciplines - political science and sociology, behavioral economics and neuroscience, history and cultural studies, literature and narrative theory - Narrative Politics sheds light on a wide range of political phenomena from social movements to electoral politics, and explains why narrative is so central to what it means to be human, and to our politics -- from dust jacket.