The role of stories: how pop culture can shape our sense of real-world conflict

Stories are ubiquitous across cultures and societies. They are a key device through which people make sense of the world and communicate meaning. Through storytelling, we do not simply describe events; we give them moral weight. We decide who is right, who is wrong, and what is included or excluded from the record. Narratives shape public perception of events, countries or groups of people. They are incredibly powerful in modern-day conflicts.

For many Americans and Westerners, Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down (2001) shaped their understanding of Somalia. Scott’s portrayal of the Battle of Mogadishu depicts US soldiers battling their way through the city and its hostile surroundings. Somali characters are largely one-dimensional and nameless, receiving little screen time. Emotive scenes encourage the audience to sympathise with the American cause, while presenting local characters in far narrower terms. For some viewers, this framing influenced their understanding of East Africa as a whole. The film centres the experience of American soldiers, and its narrative choices reflect that perspective.

To better understand how narratives work, we can look at how they transfer their messages. Many narratives, including Black Hawk Down, use the familiar villain-victim-hero triad. From Hercules to Captain America, Iago to Tiny Tim, familiar character types abound in legend, literature and film. We learn to expect certain things from these characters: the hero rescues the vulnerable victim, and the villain is morally deplorable. By acting as a lightning rod for anger and fear, the villain gives audiences a clear target for their emotions. As the moral opposite of the hero, they provide the contrast against which virtue and courage are displayed.

Problems arise when familiar narrative tropes are mapped onto people. In conflict, casting any group as ‘the villain’ draws on this deeply ingrained psychological shortcut, encouraging one side to see the other as irrational and violent. The narrative starts to shape an individual’s reality, with ‘othered’ groups becoming dehumanised. Moral complexity disappears and existential fear takes over, making ethical disengagement more likely and justifying extreme measures. Once such narratives have taken root, they are difficult to dislodge. The connection between a familiar trope and a group of people becomes psychologically entrenched and embedded within an individual’s worldview. This can make post-conflict transition especially difficult.

Nowadays film, TV and radio amplify these narratives. Cinematography, sound, and visual effects create immersive and emotionally charged experiences. At the same time, the increasing reach of film and TV now means they are routinely consumed by vast audiences, allowing certain narratives to spread rapidly. Scholars like Press-Barnathan argue that pop culture has “unique mobilising characteristics” making it a powerful vehicle for spreading politically charged narratives during conflict.

If storytelling can deepen fear or hostility, it can also support empathy. Nuanced characters demonstrating moral complexity could humanise former enemies and encourage cognitive change. “In regions emerging from violence, consistent exposure to peace-centred multimedia narratives can help cultivate a collective consciousness that values dialogue over hostility,” media and communication researcher Oguchukwu Okeke notes.

Films or TV programmes that highlight an adversary’s hardship and personal struggle play on the recognisable trope of victim, and stimulate empathy. Narratives that give formerly distrusted groups central roles, rather than portraying them as one-dimensional villains, can highlight shared humanity and bridge social divides. For example, following the collapse of the USSR, more humanised portrayals of Russian characters in American films like K19 and The Hunt for Red October coincided with—and may have contributed to—greater cultural familiarity with a former adversary. Similarly, the use of “star-crossed lovers” romance plots can foster humanisation across conflict lines. In the Bollywood film “Veer-Zaara”, the relationship between an Indian officer and a Pakistani woman challenges entrenched religious and political divides.

The potential of popular culture to shift hostile narratives has also been recognised by civil society organisations. In 1995, the international NGO Search for Common Ground established Studio Ijambo, a radio station in Burundi designed to disseminate peace-oriented narratives. One of its most successful programmes, the radio soap opera Our Neighbours, Our Family, depicted the everyday complexities of Hutu and Tutsi communities due to the Burundian Civil War. The programme helped listeners to challenge entrenched narratives, and it was later identified as key to changing attitudes towards other ethnic groups. Research found that 82% of listeners believed these dramas helped promote peace and reconciliation.

A similar initiative, The Team, was launched in Kenya following 2008 election violence. The TV programme followed a fictional, ethnically diverse football team and aimed to highlight the importance of overcoming ethnic and tribal divides. Its success was so great that it later became the prototype for similar peacebuilding soap operas in other societies.

Pop culture does not cause wars, nor can it singlehandedly create peace. It is neither a panacea nor an inherent threat, but a factor that shapes our understanding of the world. Attempts to harness pop culture for peacebuilding must occur alongside a broader peacebuilding strategy. Still, its influence should not be underestimated. The power of film is evident within political discourse; Dick Cheney referenced Black Hawk Down on the 2004 campaign trail to support Bush’s tough policy towards terrorists.

Meanwhile, the rising popularity of online streaming services and the growing influence of regional cinemas in countries including China, Nigeria and Korea will see narratives continue to spread far and wide. As film's reach expands, understanding how narratives shape perceptions of conflict and peace becomes increasingly important. As Daniel and Musgrave aptly put it, “more people have learned how the world works from Steven Spielberg than from Stephen Walt”.

Narratives are incredibly important, and pop culture is a particularly illustrative medium for showing how they can spur division or be harnessed for positive change. By fostering empathy, narratives can help to build common ground and provide a model for peacebuilding and effective communication.

At INCAS, we play close attention to the stories that underpin policy, programming and public discourse. Communication is about both clarity and responsibility. In fragile and conflict-affected contexts, narrative framing can either entrench division or create the space for dialogue. Our Strategic Communications practice works alongside our peace, security and social impact teams to ensure communication supports stability, accountability and constructive engagement.

What stories are shaping our understanding of today’s conflicts—and how might they be reframed to support greater empathy and constructive engagement?