A comunicação social em operações militares: uma análise da Guerra do Golfo (1991) à luz da teoria do enquadramento

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the strategic role of social communication in military operations, focusing on its use by the United States and its allies during the Gulf War (1991). It assumes that, in contemporary societies, communication is not merely a technical transmission of messages but a structuring force that shapes meanings, influences public perception, and legitimizes political actions. Grounded in a theoretical-conceptual approach based on framing theory, the study examines how media outlets select, organize, and assign salience to specific aspects of events, directly influencing the construction of war narratives. The analytical path demonstrates that social communication, historically shaped by technological and social transformations, has become a fundamental dimension of the symbolic organization of society, particularly in conflict contexts. In this scenario, Framing theory emerges as a powerful methodological tool to understand how media discourses are structured and instrumentalized in geopolitical disputes. The findings indicate that the framing adopted by the media during the Gulf War played a decisive role in legitimizing military intervention and shaping public interpretations of the conflict.