Framing the Issues We Care About: Talking America s Second Language Lawrence Wallack, DRPH Dean, College of Urban & Public Affairs Portland State University Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting 16th Annual Conference May 3, 2007
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Basic Public Health Question Will the public s health improve primarily as a result of: individuals getting more and better knowledge about personal risk factors OR groups getting more skills and opportunities to participate in changing public policies?
Land of controversy: the upstream territory Distant from perceived immediate causes Perceived as minimizing individual responsibility Addresses issues of social or public policy Often confronts well financed corporate interests Few short term indicators of success
The importance of framing If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers. Thomas Pynchon Gravity s Rainbow
February 28, 2006 The New York Times The New York Times
Framing Framing is more than just a message. It represents a conceptual system in which major issues are connected by a common understanding of values.
Lakoff s levels of analysis Level 1: Big ideas and universal values like fairness, equality, and justice Level 2: Issue types such as housing, civil rights, the environment, public health Level 3: Specific issues such as rent subsidies, beer taxes, toxic waste sites Adapted from The Frameworks Institute http://www.frameworksinstitute.org
YOYOs WITTs Jared Bernstein All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy
Social Justice Values Shared responsibility Interconnectedness Strong obligation to collective good Basic benefits should be assured Government involvement necessary Good government rather than small government Adapted from Beauchamp, 1976
Dominant Values Self-determination/Self discipline Rugged individualism Benefits based solely on effort Limited obligation to collective good Voluntary and moral nature of behavior Limited government intervention Smallest government is best government Adapted from Beauchamp, 1976
Whoever tells the stories of a nation need not care who makes its laws. Andrew Fletcher 1653-1716
The need to rebalance Social Accountability our stories Personal Responsibility
Telling a story Danger or threat Victim Attacker Means of doing harm Protector Means of protection Pamela Morgan, PhD Rockridge Institute
Competing stories: Environment Pollution The environment Big business, greedy, irresponsible corporations Dumping toxic wastes, billowing smokestacks Danger or threat Victim Attacker Means of doing harm Limits on individual rights, economy Individuals, small businesses Environmentalists, government bureaucrats Regulations Environmentalists, government agencies Regulatory approaches Protector Means of protection Advocacy groups, anti government politicians Roll-back of regulations
Competing stories: Guns Death, disability, needless suffering Children, communities NRA, gun nuts, other advocacy groups Easily accessible guns, lack of laws Gun control activists, parents who care, politicians Danger or threat Victim Attacker Means of doing harm Protector Loss of freedom Law abiding citizens Gun grabbers, Liberal elitists, intrusive government Limiting rights of citizens, making it easy for criminals NRA, 2nd Amendment Sisters, Pro NRA politicians Regulation, standing up to the NRA Means of protection Uphold Constitution (2nd Amendment), expand ownership --- more guns/less crime
Two Stories: what is the right balance? P U B L I C P O L I C Y B E H A V I O R A L Who are the characters? Who is at risk or harmed? Who is inflicting harm? What are the solutions? Who can advance the solutions? What are the underlying values? I N D I V I U A L C O M M U N I T Y
Compassion and vision The problem is whether we are determined to go in the direction of compassion or not.... If I lose my direction I have to look for the north star and I will go to the north. That does not mean I expect to arrive at the north star. I just want to go in that direction. Thich Nhat Hanh
Moving ahead Travel to the upstream territory Advance research-based policy for change Rebalance our stories to reflect policy issues and the upstream terrain Root our stories in social justice values Become more fluent in America s second language