Can Immersive Narrative Interventions Strengthen Support for Liberal Democracy?

Description du projet

Rapprocher les citoyens de la démocratie à l’ère de la désinformation

Le soutien à la démocratie dans le monde n’est plus aussi indéfectible qu’autrefois. Les populations y sont de moins en moins favorables, de nombreuses personnes se sentant étrangères aux idéaux démocratiques et étant de plus en plus exposées à la désinformation. En outre, la plupart des approches utilisées pour communiquer les valeurs démocratiques ne parviennent généralement pas à établir un lien avec les individus, ce qui limite leur capacité à susciter une véritable adhésion. Le projet IMMERSE, financé par le CER, vise à étudier le rôle d’une nouvelle approche: les formes narratives immersives telles que le théâtre, les jeux vidéo et la réalité virtuelle. Il évaluera plus précisément l’incidence des récits et des émotions sur l’adhésion des citoyens aux valeurs démocratiques. L’objectif est de mettre au point des outils pratiques à l’intention des éducateurs et des responsables politiques.

Objectif

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.