This set of papers, essays and conference panels explores the messaging about human security embedded in popular culture artifacts including film, TV and video games - and particularly science fiction - as well as the way in which these artifacts affect audiences and feed back into the development and implementation of global security policy. 

Carpenter, C. (2016). Rethinking the Political / -Science- / Fiction Nexus: Global Policy Making and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Perspectives on Politics, 14(1), 53-69 PDF

A burgeoning literature in IR asserts there is a relationship between pop cultural artifacts and global policy processes, but this relationship is rarely explored using observational data. To fill this gap, I provide an evidence-based exploration of the relationship between science-fiction narratives and global public policy in an important emerging political arena: norm-building efforts around the prohibition of fully autonomous weapons. Drawing on in-depth interviews with advocacy elites, and participant observation at key campaign events, I explore and expand on constitutive theories about the impact of science fiction on 'real-world' politics.

Kevin L Young, Charli Carpenter, Does Science Fiction Affect Political Fact? Yes and No: A Survey Experiment on “Killer Robots”, International Studies Quarterly, Volume 62, Issue 3, September 2018, Pages 562–576 PDF

Some scholars suggest popular culture shapes public attitudes about foreign policy in ways that can affect real-world political outcomes, but relatively few studies test this proposition. We examine whether—and more importantly how—popular culture affects public opinion on foreign policy through a survey experiment on American attitudes toward fully autonomous weapons. We queried respondents about their consumption of popular culture—including a number of iconic science-fiction films featuring armed artificial intelligence (AI)—before or after questions about autonomous weapons. We find that science fiction “priming” exerts no independent effect on political attitudes, nor does referring to autonomous weapons as “killer robots.” However, consumption of frightening armed AI films is associated with greater opposition to autonomous weapons. This “sci-fi literacy” effect increases for the highest consumers of science fiction if they are “primed” about popular culture before reporting their attitudes—what we call the “sci-fi geek effect.” Our project advances current understanding of how popular culture affects public opinion on foreign policy and suggests avenues for further inquiry.

R. Charli Carpenter PhD, Vanja Lundell & Benjamin Rubin (2008) Serious Games in the Global Affairs Classroom, Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 4:2, 117-129 PDF

Online simulations are becoming increasingly popular in international affairs education, and a new wave of social learning games or serious games are now being marketed to global affairs instructors. While few studies empirically evaluate the effectiveness of such games in augmenting traditional classroom methods, it is often assumed that such use of IT significantly enhances students’ engagement with political and social issues. We explored this assumption through a qualitative analysis of student Blackboard commentary after playing the game Pax Warrior as a supplement to a genocide prevention module in a graduate policy classroom. Student comments were coded for evidence of substantive engagement, for whether the game tended to engender critical thinking or cynicism, and for student reactions to the game itself. While evidence is mixed and further study is necessary, on balance our analysis suggests that online simulations such as Pax Warrior may indeed provide a valuable means to encourage active learning in the global affairs classroom.

Game of Thrones As Theory.

It's not as realist as it seems - and that's a good thing.

Armies, Gold, Flags and Stories

What Game of Thrones has taught us about pop culture and foreign policy. 

Game of Thrones, War Crimes and the American Conscience. 

Audience anger serves as a warning against indiscriminate violence.

The New York Times Says Killer Robot Movies Are Bad For Us. They're Wrong. 

Do  science fiction analogies and stories have consequences for how we think about serious policy issues? As it happens, we have new research on just this question – and it turns out the answers are more complicated.

The SkyNet Factor

Four myths about science fiction and the killer robot debate.