Framing & Frame Theory

erin o’brien 2013 University of Massachusetts Boston Academic Support Programs

Storytelling and construction of knowledge

See Syllabus

Course Connection

To create and share stories is to be human

Stories:

• convey a culture’s memories

• entertain

• teach

• inspire

• What else?

Most stories are Framed

They do not include every detail or possible detail of a real or imagined event

(information)

The have a particular point to make that is part of the criteria for what is included & excluded from a story

We are all framers!

They are constructed by and for people…like us!

Frames ---- “As”Tom Brady as successful atheleteAs defeated atheleteAs husbandAs fatherWhat else

December 17 2003

Click icon to add picture

Osmani Simanca

Simanca is a Cuban-born cartoonist working in Brazil for A Tarde Newspaper. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons.

S. Hussein AS bin Laden

S. Hussein & bin Laden

Apply our frame theory to this cartoonWhat is the artist

doing?What is the point the

artist is making by constructing this particular frame?

What’s the ‘story’?Does the cartoon’s

publication date reveal or suggest anything important about public knowledge of

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Gm2jgHbhM

Sept 11 cartoons

“I had a great day at work.” Bumper stickers & T-shirt logos,

slogans etcHigh school yearbook picturesAdsNews reportsphotos

Some everyday frames

Movies: Pirates of the Caribbean

Summaries: “the movie is about a cursed pirate whose always getting into trouble

political cartoonsPhotos of a vacation

Some Everyday instances of frames:

Compared to real life, we can easily see how this film is systematically framed to be a fast-moving fantasy-adventure:

What’s framed in

What’s framed out: sleeping, meals, personal hygiene–

Why these omissionsCompressions: time, journeys

Pirates of Caribbean as frames

To communicate & express: facts, feelings, ideas– everything!

To form judgmentsTo organize & coordinate with others

To accomplish tasks

We use frames everyday

To interpret and re-interpret info

To make decisions about our actions and utterances

To justify our decisions and judgments

Frames- job description

They don’t convey every possible fact or detail (framer probably doesn’t know the entire reality)

They choose what to include/exclude

How to include/exclude

Essential ingredients

More than one possible version of same ‘event’Different versions can all have some credibility/accuracyOften no single person or version can account for all that is true and real

Stories and people are complex!