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Recursive frame analysis
Recursive frame analysis1) is a method for studying the relationship between frames and the events or issues they help to construct. The term “recursive” refers to the idea that frames and events/issues are mutually constitutive, meaning that they both shape and are shaped by one another in an ongoing process.
The roots of Recursive Frame Analysis can be traced back to the work of Gregory Bateson and Erving Goffman(Goffman, E., 1974) 2) . Bateson and Goffman understood frames as being our conceptual or cognitive views of particular situations. For instance, do we perceive a story we hear from a client to be a tale of problems or of solutions? Our choices of frames help us to hear certain aspects of the talk, while not helping us to hear other parts of the conversation.
In other words, the use of frames helps to construct the meaning of events or issues, while those events or issues in turn provide evidence that supports or challenges the frames being used. This recursive relationship means that frame analysis cannot simply focus on the frames themselves, but must also consider how they are used in the context of events and issues.
The goal of recursive frame analysis is to understand the ways in which frames are used to shape our understanding of events and issues, and how this process of framing can influence public opinion, political action, and other aspects of social and cultural life.
In summary, recursive frame analysis is a method for examining the dynamic relationship between frames and events/issues in order to understand the ways in which meaning is constructed and how frames shape our understanding of the world.
References : Analysis of a scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 3)
Frame analysis
Frame analysis4) is a method used in the social sciences, particularly in sociology and communication studies, to analyze how individuals and groups construct meaning and understand events and issues. The basic idea behind frame analysis is that people do not simply respond to events and issues objectively, but rather they understand and make sense of them through the use of frames, or frameworks of interpretation.
Frame analysis is usually done in regard to news media. However, framing is inevitable, as everyone does it. It can speed up the process of interpretation as well as writing and presenting the news. People just may not realize they are using frames. Used as a tool there are several techniques that are described as framing metaphor, stories, tradition, slogan, jargon, catchphrase, artifact, contrast or spin.5)6)
Frames provide a cognitive structure for understanding events and issues by highlighting certain aspects and deemphasizing others. This can result in different interpretations and understandings of the same event or issue, depending on the frame being used. For example, in the context of a political debate, one frame might highlight the need for individual freedom, while another frame might emphasize the importance of social equality.
Frame analysis is an interpretive method that seeks to understand how frames are used to structure meaning and influence the way people understand events and issues. It is used to analyze the ways in which frames are constructed and communicated, and to examine the power relationships and cultural assumptions that underlie different frames.
It can be conducted at both the macro and micro level. At the macro level, it can be used to examine the dominant frames used in a given society or culture. For example, it can be used to examine the frames used in news media, political discourse, and other forms of public communication. At the micro level, frame analysis can be used to examine how individuals use frames in their everyday lives to make sense of the world around them.
Frame analysis is a useful tool for understanding how meaning is constructed and how frames can be used to shape public opinion, mobilize political action, and influence the way people understand the world. By examining the frames used in different contexts, frame analysis can provide insight into the ways in which power and cultural assumptions are embedded in our understanding of events and issues.