Efforts to influence Deep Narrative might be defined as ‘integration’, ‘horizontal’, and/or ‘sociological’ propaganda, to use French philosopher, theologian, legal scholar, and sociologist Jacques Ellul’s taxonomy.
See a description from What does American Propaganda Look Like below.
“Agitation” propaganda vs “Integration” propaganda
You see agitation propaganda in those cringe war posters from the last century. It advocates for direct, specific, and often violent action. It often comes from a single, centralized source, like a government office.
“Vertical” vs “horizontal” propaganda
Government offices and agencies engage in vertical propaganda, sending out messages and memes over all kinds of media, telling you exactly what to think.
horizontal propaganda, which happens through peer networks. It’s more sophisticated. All the incel nonsense, all the QAnon conspiracy theories, that evolved via horizontal propaganda.
“Sociological” propaganda vs “political” propaganda
Like “agitation” propaganda, political propaganda focuses on specific actions. It comes from an explicit, specific source. It focuses on the short term, like a revolution. Sociological propaganda focuses on more general worldviews and orientations. It comes from a number of sources.
Sociological propaganda works on you, even if you’re smart, because it often tells you what you want to hear, while enabling the exact opposite of what’s good for you.