Framing

Framing is essentially a point of view. It is the way in which an individual observes and assesses a situation. Since everyone has different ways of seeing things, one person’s framing can differ from another. For example, someone watching basketball may frame the players as individual people. They are all playing against each other, and if one person makes a mistake or a good play it is completely their doing. Somebody else watching the same game might frame the teams as two units working against one another, since the entire team is affected by the outcome of each individual’s decisions.

George Lakoff studies linguistic framing. He points out how crucial a role language plays in changing public opinion. Sometimes it goes unnoticed because the simplest change in wording can make a substantial difference. According to the article about Lakoff, “Language itself is a kind of technology that can in turn be used to shape, sculpt, or manipulate public opinion”. I believe this to be true. Language use plays such a huge part in politics today. If you listen to the language used by politicians speaking about themselves, it is always in positive terms. When the talk about their opponents, however, their language becomes much more negative.

I found the article about Donna Harraway and her argument to be less persuasive. The “cyborg theory” is interesting, but in my opinion a little extreme. In one of her books Harraway states that “we are all chimeras, theorized and fabricated hybrids of machine and organism”. This has some truth to it. She is referring to the extent to which technology has become a part of our daily lives. However, it seems as if technology has become an extension of ourselves rather than an amalgamation of human and machine.

Possibly one of the most effective applications of framing came from Marshall McLuhan. In his time he was pop culture icon. He used framing to change the perception of media and commercials; “Rather than seeing the flood of advertisements, commercial-speak, and television programming as insignificant background, McLuhan and the Pop Artists instead brought such materials front-and-center so that folks might re-consider and examine the significance and grammar of such things more deeply”.

In effect, framing is a useful tool that can be used to expand our awareness and change the way we look at things.