It has been more than twenty-five years since publication of David Snow, Burke Rochford, Steven Worden, and Robert Benford's article, "Frame Alignment Processes, Micromobilization, and Movement Participation" in the American Sociological Review (1986). Here we consider the conceptual and empirical origins of the framing perspective, how its introduction fundamentally altered and continues to influence the study of social movements, and where scholarly research on social movement framing is still needed.
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Growing evidence points to the pivotal role of framing processes in the mobilization of social movements. Our study contributes to framing theory by drawing on data from state-level woman suffrage movements in the U.S. to provide a systematic comparison of the mobilizing capacities of different collective action frames. Specifically, we examine the differential impact of the justice, societal reform, and home protection frames. Rather than assuming that all frames deployed by movements contribute equally to successful mobilization, we distinguish between effective and ineffective frames. Results of cross-sectional time series analyses suggest that the use of the reform frame positively influenced membership growth in state suffrage organizations, while the use of the justice and home protection frames had no effect. We conclude that there are three key determinants of a frame's mobilizing capacity: a balanced (i.e., culturally resonant and oppositional) message, the range of issues addressed, and the effective neutralization of counterframes
US. woman suffragists routinely utilized two types of arguments in their demands for voting rights: justice and reform. The former argument held that women should vote because they were men's equals and therefore should have political rights equal to those of men. Reform arguments stated that women should have the ballot because women, given their unique womanly experiences and perspectives, would bring a unique contribution to politics, making society a more humane place. Although social movement scholars have increasingly studied the framing work of movement activists, few systematic studies of framing activity exist. In this work we examine the circumstances that led the suffragists to amplify one or the other of these motivational frames. We find that the suffragists were quite strategic in their choice of frames, targeting particular audiences and taking advantage of cultural opportunities for frame resonance. We find only limited evidence that their frames were driven by the collective identity of particular groups in the movement.The individuals who participated in the state woman suffrage movements in the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries rarely engaged in disruptive and militant activities. The method of gaining voting rights for women that permeated nearly every tactic employed by the suffragists was argumentation. That is, they regularly worked to persuade listeners with their rhetoric that women indeed should be full participants in the democratic system. The suffragists gave public speeches, carried banners in parades, spoke informally on street corners, wrote newspaper columns, distributed handbills, and
Millions of Americans aged 65+ are socially isolated and millions more report feeling lonely. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults were compounded by stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 prevention measures. Although many Americans experienced no difficulties transitioning to the use of electronic devices as their primary means of communication and connection, some older adults were not similarly able to espouse this shift. Our aim was to reduce the impact of social isolation on older adults, increase their comfort in expressing feelings of loneliness, and assist them in acquiring technology skills and accessing telehealth and community supports. Participants received wellness calls for conversation, resource access and technology-based support. Most participants reported decreased loneliness and increased connectedness after the calls; half reported increased ease in expressing their feelings. Programs that provide phone-based support for older adults may reduce loneliness and increase social connectedness.
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