Cultural Texture: Urban Warfare
&
Global Strategic Communication
R.S. Zaharna, Ed.D.
American University
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California
13-14 December 2005
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Overview
Task
Approach
Cultural disparities
Looking Ahead
Æ Strategic global communication
Æ The next war
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NDU TASK ÆCultural Context
American Æ Arab
US Military Æ Iraqi civilians
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Analysis – Working Premises
1.
Cross-cultural disparities central
2.
Negatives ≥ positives
3.
Messages Æ storylines
Æ master narratives
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Communication Context
Shared frame of reference Æ Understanding
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Cross-cultural – Combat Context
Unshared cultural frames Æ Tensions
Cultural
imperatives
Cultural
imperatives
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Media & Messages
Network-centric
warfare
Baghdad
Daily Arabic Media Report
Iraqi bloggers
Washington / Monterey
Iraqi press
Night
Vision goggles
Al-Jazeera
winning & keeping
public goodwill
US / Islamic world
Civic Engagement
Urban warfare
fighting the
bad guys
Insurgency / US troops
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whole village
Human-centric
warfare
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Cultural Disparities – Recurring themes
Daily Arabic Media
Report
Arab media / bloggers
Shot, killed, wounded
Military scorecard
Who’s winning
Abstract, impersonal
People-event specific
Human drama
Human toll
High impact / people
identify
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Iraqi Civilians ÆCultural Imperatives
Honor, dignity, respect
Family, sanctity of home
Collective punishment
Authority Æ responsibility
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Cultural Disparity:
Why Problem of Hearts & Minds?
US
Iraqi civilians
ÆInformation problem
ÆRelationship problem
- Message, messenger
- Not hearing positives
- Opponents [Al-Jazeera]
- Personal/family honor
- Tactics
- Security
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American Cultural Assumptions
Communication = Information transfer
Focus Æ message
Currency Æ ideas
Problem Æ absent or incorrect information
Solution Æ more or better information
AgencyÆ persuasion strategy, mass
media, advanced technology
[complaint: information overload]
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Arab Cultural Assumptions
Communication = Social process
Focus Æ relationships
Currency Æ connections
Problem Æ strained or broken relations
SolutionÆ mend relations
Agency Æ mediator, negotiator
[Complaint: relationship overload]
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Core Cultural Disparity
Iraqi = relationship focused
US = information focused
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Cultural Disparity:
How Solve Problem?
Iraqi Æ Relationship
problem
US Æ Information
solution
- US troops & tactics
- Message
- Messenger
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US ÆIs it the message or the messenger?
America
Low-context
Meaning is in the
message
Arab
High-context
Meaning is in the
context
Can separate message &
messenger
Cannot separate
message & messenger
Iraqi ÆUS troops = message & messenger
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Disparity: Culture Valuables
US Military
Doing oriented
“Get the job done”
Task focused
Expediency
Security
Iraqi Civilians
Being oriented
Public face: Dignity,
honor, respect
Relations: family,
tribe, home
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Scorecard: Negative ≥ Positives
* Personal humiliation
= Loss of face, dignity,
social respect
* Civic affairs
Negatives Æ High
personal, social cost
Positives Æ Impersonal
* Information /PR
campaign
* Reconstruction
projects
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Creating Master Narrative
US troop + local public Æ Create storyline
Global publics identify with local public
Æ Storyline gains traction
Master narrative Æ anti-Americanism
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Where are the people?
Iraqi
civilians
Insurgency
US troops
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Insurgency trying to keep one
step ahead of US
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Urban Warfare – Cultural Component
Night vision goggles Æ Eyes of village
Secure the ground
Æ Retain public goodwill
Command & control Æ Consult & coordinate
Tactics, weapons, equipment
ÆCultural savvy
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Next War: Strategic Global Communication
Challenge of Cultural Landmines
US troops / tactics ÆTrigger cultural landmines
Alienate local public Æ Storyline
Alienate global publics Æ Master narrative
Anti-Americanism / US credibility
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Next War: Challenges
How can US integrate cultural knowledge into
troop training and tactics?
How can US fight the bad guys without
becoming the “bad guys” – villain in the story?
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Looking Ahead: Strategic Global Communication
WWII Æ propaganda
GWOT Æ relationship-based strategies
Global cultures
Global networks
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Thank you.
RS Zaharna
School of Communication
American University
Washington, DC 20016-8017
(202) 885-3995
zaharna@american.edu
http://academic3.american.edu/~zaharna
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