THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF WAR: HOW SOCIETY SHAPES WAR NARRATIVES

This article explores the complex nature of war as a social phenomenon and analyzes how society shapes the narrative of war. Using the theoretical framework of social constructivism, the article demonstrates that war narratives are not merely a collection of objective facts but rather social constructs shaped by various factors. The study identifies the main factors contributing to the formation of war narratives, such as propaganda and enemy image creation by the political elite, selective coverage and emotional influence by the media, cultural factors (history, religion, traditions), and the influence of various social groups (family, peers, social organizations). The article examines four main types of war narratives: heroic, victim, just war, and dehumanization narratives. It analyzes how each narrative portrays the parties involved in the war, the causes and consequences of war, and the moral dimension of war. It shows that the type of narrative influences public attitudes towards war, support for it, mobilization, and motivation. Furthermore, the article discusses in detail the social consequences of war narratives. It demonstrates that narratives can both strengthen and weaken social cohesion, deepen social inequality, normalize violence, and cause psychological trauma. The research findings emphasize the importance of the critical analysis of war narratives to better understand the social dimension of war, its impact on society, and the prevention of its consequences.