When Frames Collide

Groups or individuals with conflicting views use frames in different ways. Frames are used interpretively to help make sense of complicated issues and situations in ways that are consistent with world views and which give significance to events and circumstances in the context of one’s background. Strategically, frames are used to rationalize self-interest, for persuasion, to build alliances, and to encourage certain beliefs. Different individuals see and make sense of events through different interpretive lenses, or frames, which helps them come to grips with the world around them. Frames are cognitive tools used to name, identify, and interpret situations and to explain them to others. They selectively simplify perceptions and define viewpoints, which can lead to very different interpretations of an event, for example, OJ Simpson’s acquittal, the riots that followed Rodney King’s beating, or wolves being reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (Shmueli, et al, n.d.).

While useful, frames can also be error prone and can be manipulated to advocate for a certain point of view, to gain advantage over others, or to recruit like-minded people to join certain causes, this is the communicative perspective of framing. Those on different sides of an issue formulate frames consistent with their interests and use terms that are advantageous to their side. Group identification crosses the lines of interpretive and communicative framing. Acceptance of a group’s framing occurs either because it is accepted as one’s own view or because there is some benefit to being a member of the group. Group identification is seeing group members as like “us” when it comes to important dimensions, while ignoring differences on less importan...

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...t accepting the science (Klein, 2011).

Climate change denial has become as important to Republicans’ worldview as opposition to abortion, gun control, and taxes. It used to be something that Americans cared about just not very much. Climate change would consistently be at the bottom of the list of things that politically concerned Americans, but with the political framing by Republicans that make it a wedge issue Americans have been divided into them and us (Klein, 2011). Frames are important in headstrong division. Divergent frames encourage escalation as they inhibit clear communication and information reliability. Frames, which are ingrained in personal, social, and institutional situations, are usually consistent over time even through periods of upheaval, but frame-based interference in contentious disputes can lead to intractability (Shmueli, n.d.).