A conceptual tool for trans-disciplinary integration

This concept note proposes the concept of Migration Narrative Success (MNS) as a cross-disciplinary tool to facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange not only among researchers, but also between researchers and practitioners. Based on existing literature, the authors argue that narratives’ influential capacity depends on their content (what is said) and framing (how it is said), as well as the context in which they develop and circulate (by whom, to whom and what for, where and when).

In the first part, they provide a definition of MNS, distinguishing between two dimensions (pervasiveness and transformativity) and identifying the relevant parameters for their operationalisation. In the second part, they single out potential explanatory factors (of both the pervasiveness and transformativity of a given narrative) to be tested and validated throughout the project. In the final section, the authors shift the focus from narratives referring to specific migration-related events to broader narratives about (im)migration, and propose the concept of Migration Narrative Hegemony (MNH) as a core category for assessing the long-term systemic success of narratives about migration as a multi-dimensional and durable (or structural) social phenomenon.