Hegemonic Narratives and the Generative Power of War: Orientalism in Late Modern Wars

This article underscores the need for a closer examination of the intricate relationship between wars and hegemonic narratives like Orientalism. The exploration of this relationship reveals a profound interplay of power/military might, identity, and representation. The study also evinces a significant but understudied impact of war on the construction and deconstruction of dominant narratives and their counter-narratives. So much so that only recently has scholarship begun to address these gaps thanks to the nascent concept of Military Orientalism. Based on these insights, the study of the dialectics between war and hegemonic narratives is exemplified hereafter with Orientalism, a longstanding hegemonic narrative. The aim of this endeavor is to achieve a better understanding of contemporary conflicts and their narratival implications. This article also demonstrates how conflicts catalyze a reevaluation of hegemonic narratives and the ideologies that sustain them. It suggests that insights from the study of Military Orientalism can illuminate these dynamics while accounting for the failures of Western military strategies in the Middle East or the “Orient†writ large. This is especially the case since these strategies are predicated on long-lasting misconceptions that have been conveyed through historical narratives about the “Other.â€