{"id":9498,"date":"2017-11-10T17:14:11","date_gmt":"2017-11-10T22:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/aivakhiv\/?p=9498"},"modified":"2021-06-13T21:55:42","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T02:55:42","slug":"the-frame-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/aivakhiv\/2017\/11\/10\/the-frame-game\/","title":{"rendered":"The frame game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spin the dial and see where it lands. Take several steps in that direction. Look around. Spin again.<\/em><\/p>\n

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1. Struggle<\/strong>, or The World at War Frame<\/strong>: We are at war. The war is between the good guys and the bad guys. We must triumph. (Variations:<\/em> The war is between those who are plundering the planet for their own benefit and those who are trying to rein in the plunder and set us onto a better, more viable and sustainable track. The war is between the capitalists and the people, between patriarchy and women, between the state\/authoritarianism and freedom, between the racists\/colonizers and the rest of us, between the North and the South, between the godly and the godless, et al. Make your own variations.)<\/p>\n

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2. Love<\/strong>, or The All In It Together Frame<\/strong>: I feel your pain. We’re all in this together, just at different points on our paths. Yes, it’s awful, I know, but he didn’t really mean to do it (to plunder the planet, or whatever). He’s just trying to be happy, like you and like me. And aren’t we all complicit, anyway? The best we can do is start from ourselves and lead by example. Love and respect will win.<\/p>\n

3. Facts<\/strong>, or The Let’s Form Another Committee Frame<\/strong>: Wait a second… Who’s right about this? How do we know? What don’t<\/em> we know yet, and how could we find out? Who can we ask? Let’s form a committee to figure it out and report back to the rest of us.<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> Hunh?<\/strong>, or The House at the Edge of Town Frame<\/strong>: Who, me? What does it have to do with me? What could I possibly do? It’s above my pay grade. We have experts to worry about that. I’m busy.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Coffee<\/strong>, or The NPR Frame<\/strong>: I see what you mean. And I see what you<\/em> mean, too. Let’s get together and hash it out. Let’s meet for coffee, or dinner. I can cook.<\/p>\n

6. Roses<\/strong>, or The What, Me Worry? Frame<\/strong>: Don’t worry, be happy. Look around. Life is good. You look so beautiful, if only you got rid of that furrowed brow. Enjoy the moment. Live it up.<\/p>\n

7. Po<\/strong>,* or The Unframed<\/strong>: Unask the question. Go for a wander. Open a new window. What is a frame, anyway? What are the contexts within which each frame finds its adequacy, and what contexts aren’t we thinking of? How about this?<\/em> (Makes bizarre gesture pointing at the moon or something.)<\/p>\n

[*”Po” is taken from Edward de Bono’s book Po: Beyond Yes and No<\/a>. We could always use a little more Po.]<\/p>\n

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