Comic Plots as Conflict Resolution Strategy

• Published in: European journal of international relations Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 601 - 626
• Main Author: Kuusisto, Riikka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2009; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Comedy; Conflict Resolution; Discourse analysis; Disputes; Foreign policy; France; Friendship; International Conflict; Intervention; Military Intervention; Narratives; Negotiation; Peace research; Rhetoric; Scripts; Strategic studies; Superpowers; Terrorism; Tragedy; U.S.A; United Kingdom; War; peace research; comedy; conflict rhetoric; narrative; Western foreign policy
• ISSN: 1354-0661; 1460-3713
• DOI: 10.1177/1354066109345052

Recently, the ‘war stories’ of the leaders of the major Western powers — the United States, Britain and France — have adhered to two major plots: the heroic epic or the sad tragedy. The heroic script defines and explains conflicts in which the Western powers have wished to play an active role: the Persian Gulf (1990—1), Kosovo (1999) and the current war against terrorism. The tragic plot has been employed when they have ruled out forceful outside intervention, like in Bosnia (1992—5) and Rwanda (1994). Both scripts are highly problematic conflict resolution approaches: they point to black-and-white, aggressive denouements. An alternative is the comic plot: a story traditionally used in ordinary disagreements among friends, problems with ‘small foes’ and disputes with important rivals. Adopting a comic framework for most of the conflicts in the world would give the Western leaders more room to negotiate, to try out new ideas and to back down on unsuccessful strategies.