Telling stories of failure: narrative constructions of foreign policy fiascos

The article introduces narrative analysis as a discourse analytical method for investigating the social construction of foreign policy fiascos. Based on insights from literary studies and Narratology it shows that stories of failure include a number of key elements, including a particular setting which defines appropriate behavior; the negative characterization of agents; as well as an emplotment of the ‘fiasco’ through the attribution of cause and responsibility. The article illustrates this method through a narrative analysis of German media reporting on Germany’s abstention in the UN Security Council vote on Resolution 1973 in March 2011 regarding the military intervention in Libya.