Project description
Engaging citizens with democracy in the age of disinformation
Support for democracy worldwide is no longer as unwavering as it once was. People are becoming less favourable towards it, with many individuals feeling that they are alienated by the ideas of democracy and are being exposed more and more to disinformation. In addition, most approaches used in communicating democratic values usually fail to connect with individuals, reducing their impact on fostering genuine dedication. The ERC-funded IMMERSE project aims to examine the role of a new approach: immersive storytelling formats such as theatre, video games and virtual reality. Specifically, it will evaluate the effect of narratives and emotions on citizens’ connection with democratic values. The goal is to develop practical tools for educators and policymakers.
Objective
Liberal democracy faces unprecedented threats, with public commitment to its principles and practices weaker than often assumed. This is highly problematic, as liberal democracy can only thrive when it relies on widespread support. One key issue is that conventional forms of communicating liberal democracy, such as descriptive and argumentative messaging, often fail to engage citizens deeply. IMMERSE tackles this urgent challenge by investigating whether embedding information about liberal democracy into immersive narrative interventions – featuring compelling plots, relatable characters, and meaningful lessons – can strengthen support for liberal-democratic principles and practices.
IMMERSE’s key theoretical contribution is that it integrates political science approaches on democratic citizenship with the interdisciplinary field of narrative persuasion, and identifies the most impactful narrative features and communication methods. The project highlights the crucial role emotions play, and establishes a new framework for understanding how support for liberal democracy can be fostered. Methodologically, the project is unique in comparing the effects of diverse narrative formats systematically, offering unprecedented insights into their relative effectiveness. IMMERSE also employs cutting-edge methods, including field and online survey experiments, physiological measures, and qualitative analyses.
Practically, IMMERSE develops innovative interventions, such as storytelling, live theatre, video games, and virtual reality, and examines how these can be scaled up and implemented in real-world settings like schools and media. The findings will provide a robust theoretical foundation for addressing democratic backsliding and fostering a stronger commitment to liberal-democratic principles and practices, while also equipping educators, policymakers, and media professionals with concrete tools to effectively communicate and promote these principles in diverse contexts.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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1012WX Amsterdam
Netherlands
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