Framing

Framing

Definition:
Framing is a rhetorical tool used to force upon it's audience an intentional point of view. When a rhetorical situation is framed by those who have an agenda to push, the audience is forced to see a situation or an idea in a way that is apt to persuade them in a deliberate way. Framing often helps to define a unique way of thinking about an idea. Framing can be broken down into four techniques: bridging, amplification, extension, and transformation. Bridging is used when an overarching concept or idea can be used to connect two ideas that on the surface seem unrelated. Amplification is used to emphasize and draw attention to a certain aspect of a situation. Extension is used to extend the boundaries of a given cause or movement to include other ideas or individuals. Transformation is used when a saying or an object's past meaning is completely replaced with a new meaning.

Example: 
An example for bridging would be the rights of pets and the rights of farm animals. Many Westernized nations would be appalled to see a family eat their pet dog, and yet they eat cow's meat on a weekly basis. The two issues seem different on the surface, but really both species are still animals. What makes one better than the other?

An example of amplification would be the use of the term "pro-choice" and "pro-life" in regards to the abortion debates. Pro-choice is clarifying the fact that supporters are on the side of the mother's right to choose what happens to her body. Pro-life is clarifying the fact that supporters are on the side of the fetus's right to life.

Golden Frame 

http://www.theromantic.com/creative-romantic-ideas/craft-ideas/getting-framed/frame-romantic-craft-ideas/

An example of extension would be the growth from the past "gay rights movement" to the present LGBTQIA+ organization. The movement evolved from just involving gay men and lesbian women to incorporating bisexual, trans*, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals as well.

An example of transformation would be the N word. It originally began as a hateful word used during times of slavery and the period that followed afterwards in the United States. Throughout the years, it has come to be reclaimed by the African American population as a word that they can use for themselves and is now heard ubiquitously in pop culture.

From the Text:
In "The Place of Framing: Multiple Audiences and Antiwar Protests near Fort Bragg" by Heaney and Rojas, framing is analyzed first broadly, and then solely in the context of place. Overall, "frames establish a 'definition of a situation […] in accordance with the principles of organization that govern events […]'" (244). This frame, helping to find the aforementioned definition of a situation, is said to be deliberate and is used to help persuade an audience. When a place is considered for a protest movement, "frames have the potential to render 'what would otherwise be a meaningless aspect of a scene into something that is meaningful'" (244). Frames can be applied to many different parts of a protest, and this includes the place from which it is held, to help your protest evoke a certain feeling or a certain idea that you think will appeal to your audience. "Successful framing has the potential to alter the beliefs and values that individuals hold when making decisions" is the very essence of why framing is so important to a protest movement that wants to be seen in a very specific way (244).



Works Cited:
Heaney, Michael T. and Rojas, Fabio. "The Place of Framing: Multiple Audiences and Antiwar Protests near Fort Bragg." Readings in the Rhetoric of Social Protest. Brown, Stephen Howard, and Charles E. Morris III, eds. State College, Pa: Strata Publishing, Inc., 2013.