How to Construct a Common Narrative from among the Competing Accounts: Narrative templates as cultural limiters to narrative transformations

Abstract

Narrative approach to interethnic conflicts considers them as competing stories. In this con-nection, it is argued that for effective conflict resolution the competing narratives should un-dergo certain transformations that could bring them towards their convergence into a common one.  However, discussions of narrative transformations to conflict resolution often fail to differentiate between surface narratives and underlying schematic narrative templates. In this regard schematic narrative templates which are deeply entrenched with patterns of collective memory and identity can serve as “cultural limiter” which restrains the process of narrative transformations.  This thesis is illustrated through the narrative analysis of the BBC Russian Service video report “Karabakh: Two Versions of the Story” (aired on 18th April, 2011). In the analysis of the BBC video report the author employs some procedures which are suggested by the model of “chronotopic” method.