Political Power and Cultural Change: Historical Narratives and Social Structures in Comparative Perspective
Downloads
Background. Historical narratives are critical in shaping both political power and social structures within societies. These narratives not only reflect past events but also contribute to the construction of collective identities and the legitimization of political authority. Understanding how these narratives influence cultural change is crucial for examining the interplay between political power and societal transformation across different contexts.
Purpose. This study aims to explore the relationship between political power, historical narratives, and cultural change by examining how social structures are depicted and reshaped through historical accounts in various political regimes. The research compares the role of these narratives in societies with different political systems, including monarchies, democracies, and authoritarian states.
Method. A comparative historical analysis is employed, focusing on key historical narratives from selected societies. Textual analysis of primary sources, alongside secondary literature, is used to identify the ways in which historical events are framed to reinforce or challenge political power and social hierarchies.
Results. The study reveals that historical narratives serve as powerful tools for consolidating political power, often manipulating cultural memory to legitimize dominant social structures. However, these narratives also provide spaces for contestation, allowing alternative perspectives and social movements to challenge established norms.
Conclusion. This research concludes that historical narratives are central to the dynamics of political power and cultural change, offering insights into how societies negotiate social structures through the lens of history.
Altinay, L., Toros, E., Vatankhah, S., & Seyfi, S. (2026). Women entrepreneurs as cultural custodians in tourism: A social feminism theory perspective. Tourism Management, 112, 105267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2025.105267
Andrun, A. (2025). Social innovation ecosystems of population health in Germany: Exploring policy and networks. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 15(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-07-2024-0121
Appiah, P. B., & Grimm, H. M. (2025). Evolution of entrepreneurial and social innovation ecosystems across geopolitical, policy and cultural contexts. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 15(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEPP-10-2025-0281
Aykut, S. C., & Wiener, A. (2026). From climate action to climate agency: Mapping social drivers and the opportunity structure for global decarbonization. Earth System Governance, 28, 100322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2026.100322
Bohnet, I. C., Bryce, R., Måren, I. E., Barraclough, A. D., Malcolm, Z., Külm, S., Kokovkin, T., Taylor, S., Cudlinova, E., & Sepp, K. (2025). Co-creating cultural narratives for sustainable rural development: A transdisciplinary learning framework for guiding place-based social-ecological research. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 73, 101506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2024.101506
Botes, M. (2026). Draw closer to me: Participatory visual storytelling to include socio-cultural perspectives in neuroethics and policymaking. Dalam Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.dnb.2026.02.011
Buckley, E., & Colvin, R. M. (2026). Transmission, turbines, and trust: The social dynamics and narratives of opposition to renewable energy infrastructure in regional Australia. Energy Research & Social Science, 132, 104546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104546
Buckley, R. C., Singh, R., Underdahl, S., Gurung, H., Brito, T. R., Cooper, M.-A., Liddon, M., Zhang, Z. J., Chauvenet, A. L. M., & Zhong, L. (2026). Tourism industry political playbook in public protected areas. Biological Conservation, 318, 111849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2026.111849
Casteliani Marinho Falcao, L., & Maki, N. (2025). Grotesque representations of catastrophe: Interpreting cultural narratives in disaster postcards of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and 1923 Great Kant? Earthquake. Progress in Disaster Science, 28, 100476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2025.100476
Chen, J. (2025). The expression of polyphonic city image: A perspective from the linguistic landscape of Beijing’s Hutongs. Language & Communication, 104, 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2025.06.001
Denia, E. (2025). AI narratives model: Social perception of artificial intelligence. Technovation, 146, 103266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103266
Hoque, M. A., Azim, M. S., & Parvin, F. (2026). Gendered pathways of power: Women’s political representation amid democratic backsliding in India, Hungary and Turkey. Women’s Studies International Forum, 115, 103269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103269
Iftikhar, M. (2025). Regional security structure and domestic political economy interests: Comparative analysis of belt and road initiative investments in the Philippines and Malaysia. Asia and the Global Economy, 5(2), 100128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aglobe.2025.100128
Ingram, J., Brimble, R., & Mills, J. (2025). Discourse, discursive power, and Social License to Operate: The case of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage in the United Kingdom. Energy Research & Social Science, 129, 104396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104396
Jaiswal, S., Raman, R., & Mandal, S. K. (2026). Between Tradition and Towers: Navigating Westernization, Architectural Transformation, Cultural Resilience and the Social Fabric of Indian Cities. Human Settlements and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hssust.2026.04.001
Karakislak, I. (2025). Understanding energy struggles through systems of power: A systematic review of intersectionality in energy social science and humanities. Energy Research & Social Science, 127, 104324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104324
Kim, E., & Park, J. (2026). Property rights and redevelopment: Political subjectivity and the limits of the right to the city in Seoul, South Korea. Habitat International, 167, 103651. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103651
Kohout-Diaz, M. (2025). Advancing an inclusive research approach in humanities and social sciences: The crucial role of self-study and narrative enquiry in doctoral research experiences. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101256
Kowszyk, Y., Walter, M., Maher, R., & Vanclay, F. (2025). Social revolution and mining projects: The potential role of cultural power in transforming mining conflict. The Extractive Industries and Society, 24, 101733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2025.101733
Kubištová, T., & Stoffelen, A. (2026). Path dependency and creative convergence: A comparative study of cultural and creative cities in Europe. Cities, 171, 106753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106753
Kuijt, I. (2024). Reconsidering narratives of household social inequality. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 75, 101591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2024.101591
Lazaro, L. L. B., Giatti, L. L., Simoes, A. F., Giarolla, A., Jacobi, P. R., & Oliveira, J. A. P. (2025). Corporate lobbying, agribusiness, and climate change politics in Brazil’s bioenergy transition. Energy Research & Social Science, 129, 104353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2025.104353
Li, Y., Ma, C., & Yu, L. (2026). Artificial intelligence and digital Nationalism: A social media discourse analysis. Technology in Society, 85, 103197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.103197
Mangalagiu, D., Lieu, J., Biddau, F., Martinez Reyes, A., & Witajewska-Baltvilka, B. (2025). Enabling sustainable transitions in coal and carbon-intensive regions: Interdisciplinary social science perspectives. Global Environmental Change, 93, 103022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2025.103022
Meena, M. K. (2026). Harnessing social marketing for indigenous well-being: A systematic review of global evidence from Scopus and Web of Science indexed research. Journal of Social Marketing, 16(2), 230–254. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-04-2025-0123
Rosa, S., Suryani, N., Marni, S., Fitrisia, A., Olivia, L., & Ilham, R. (2026). Voices of matriliny and hidden power: Reimagining female agency through Minangkabau narratives in Kaba and Tambo. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102531
Soyer, F., & Tunca, E. A. (2025). Political and cultural memory in urban space: Public naming practices in Northern Cyprus. Cities, 160, 105851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.105851
Strydom, W. J., Puren, K., & Drewes, J. E. (2025). Conceptualising social placemaking in spatial planning: A South African case study. Journal of Place Management and Development, 18(4), 467–495. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-09-2024-0105
Su, R., Liu, A., & Deng, Z. (2026). Place, tourism and cultural entrepreneurship: A critical engagement with cultural political economy. Cities, 169, 106518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106518
Swetha, M., & Aravind, B. R. (2025). “Language as power: Analyzing the intersection of linguistics and politics in Ijeoma Oluo’s work.” Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101405
Tran, T. (2025). On and beyond the Creative City: Performative narratives, policy translation, and frontiers of ‘splashing’ acts. City, Culture and Society, 42, 100654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2025.100654
Trong Tin, N. L. (2026). Civic duty or cultural erasure? Navigating social markers of acceptance for Asian immigrants in Australia. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102395
Yu, H., & Liu, Y. (2026). Voicing the past: How voice strategy shapes narrative in history documentary. Discourse, Context & Media, 70, 100992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2026.100992
Zeng, K. J., Sima, H., Chan, H., Yang, M. X., & Delong, W. (2025). Revisiting consumer ethnocentric tendency amid deglobalization: A political narrative perspective. International Marketing Review, 43(2), 438–465. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMR-12-2024-0545
Zhao, Y., Ali Mahfoodh, O. H., Subramaniam, I., & Ge, J. (2025). Pixels, Poses, and Power: A multimodal analysis of Self-Representation and femininity among female fitness influencers on Chinese social media. Discourse, Context & Media, 68, 100954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2025.100954
Copyright (c) 2026 Muh Irfan Mukhlishin, Aries Purwanto, Chandra Arie Widiyoko, Endang Sriwahyuni
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
