This week the University of Trento in Italy will host a workshop exploring the role of narratives in international relations. Narrating Crisis: Mapping the Terrain of Normative Meaning is held on October 13-14 and organised by Vincenzo Della Salla, Maren Hofius and Antje Weiner. NPC's Ben O'Loughlin will present research examining how young people in Israel-Palestine and Ukraine narrate the role of the European Union in the conflicts their societies face. This is part of the Jean Monnet-funded project Crisis, Conflict and Critical Diplomacy of the EU (C3EU). Ben will present findings with Alister Miskimmon that utilize Q-sort methods that elicit narratives rather than the usual surveys of attitudes and beliefs in public opinion research. In light of Joe Nye's statement that 'whose story wins' will define world affairs in the 21st century, there is a need for methods that bring to light the stories people hold about their experiences, their country and its role in the world. This presentation is a first step towards realising that goal.  

Friday, 13 October 2017 

13.30-14.00 Welcome and Introduction 

14.00-15.00 Chiara de Franco - The Logic of Narratives: Theatre, narratives and international norms 

15.00-16.00 Mark Gilbert - The Eurocentrism of Narratives of European Integration 

16.00-16.30 Coffee 

16.30-17.30 Kai Oppermann and Alexander Spencer – Contesting success and failure: US narratives on the ‘Iran nuclear deal 

19.00 Dinner 

Saturday, 14 October 2017 

Time: Topic and Presenter: 

9.00-10.00 Katja Freistein and Frank Gadinger – Competing Narratives and the Crisis of Europe 

10.00-11.00 Maren Hofius – European Integration (Theory) in Crisis? Reconstructing ‘Crisis’ as Narrative 

11.30 Coffee 

11.30-12.30 Alister Miskimmon and Ben O'Loughlin – Anticipating Projection Effects and Receptivity to EU Narratives in Ukraine and Israel/Palestine 

12.30-13.30 Lunch 

13.30-14.30 Vincent Della Sala – The Elusive “New Narrative” for Europe 

14.30-15.00 Discussion of future plans