Societal Frame Research Articles

Medicalization of Old Age: Experiencing Healthism and Overdiagnosis in a Nordic Welfare State.

In Denmark, people are expected to take responsibility for their health, not least as their bodies age and they experience signs of physical or mental decline. Drawing on fieldwork among older Danes, I illustrate that an excessive focus on health gives rise to social and structural controversies and disparities, linking ideas of healthy behavior at the individual level with the societal framing of disease and aging. I argue that this emphasis contributes to the unwarranted diagnosis of bodily variations that naturally occur in the aging process, a phenomenon referred to as overdiagnosis, adding to a broader medicalization of old age.

The role of framing and effort in green nudging acceptance

Abstract Whether nudges succeed in promoting pro-environmental behavior strongly depends on their public acceptance. Prior literature shows that the framing of nudges, i.e., whether they address the individual (personal framing) or the society (societal framing), is one critical factor in determining nudging acceptance. Since a personal framing highlights the costs individuals have to bear to comply, we hypothesize that people accept nudges more when addressing the general public rather than themselves personally. We expect the framing effect to be stronger for nudges that elicit high-effort behavior than low-effort behavior. Results of multilevel linear regression analyses in two online experiments (nStudy 1 = 294, nobs = 4,410; nStudy 2 = 565, nobs = 11,300) reveal an opposite pattern: People accept nudges more when personally (vs societally) framed. As predicted, nudges receive higher support when the promoted behavior is perceived as low effort. Exploratory path analysis in Study 2 shows that the perceived effectiveness of the nudge mediates the positive relation between personal framing and nudging acceptance. This project provides novel insights on facilitators and barriers in nudging acceptance and their implications for policy-making.

Działalność terminologiczna Hipolita Cegielskiego w świetle aktualnych zagadnień komunikacji specjalistycznej

This paper presents a historical figure of Hipolit Cegielski (1813-1868), a Polish entrepreneur and philologist, and analyzes his past terminological work (creation, development and maintenance of terminology of agricultural machinery) within a current framework of specialized communication. The analysis was conducted on four levels: the level of communicative acts, the level of agents, the level of microcommunity, the level of macrocommunity (Schubert 2007). The aim of the paper is to identify the facets of terminological work in a societal frame of reference.

Analyzing Social Media Messaging on Masks and Vaccines: A Case Study on Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Misinformation and disinformation during infectious disease outbreaks can hinder public health responses. This analysis examines comments about masks and COVID-19 vaccines on Twitter during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a content analysis of 6,600 randomly selected English-language tweets, examining tweets for health, political, of societal frames; inclusion of true information, false information, partially true/misleading information, and/or opinion; political components; risk frames; and use of specific types of rumor. We found false and partially false information in 22% of tweets in which we were able to assess veracity. Tweets with misinformation were more likely to mention vaccines, be political in nature, and promote risk elevating messages (p<0.5). We also found false information about vaccines as early as January 2020, nearly a year before COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. These findings highlight a need for new policies and strategies aimed to counter harmful and misleading messaging.

The smart meets the conventional: Media storylines and societal frames on the energy action of housing cooperatives

In the acceleration phase of energy transitions, the role of community and citizen action is emphasised. The role of active, smart and experimental communities and individuals adopting novel practices and technologies is often contrasted with more conventional and mundane everyday practices, which change only slowly. In this context, the role of news media is central in disseminating information, mediating confrontations, and offering a space for shared societal frames on transition. This article examines Finnish media storylines on emerging energy technologies and practices in housing cooperatives, which manage most of the apartment buildings in Finland and thus have a key role in energy transition. Focusing on 17 years of development in three mainstream media, we first identify three main phases in media discourse intensity, focus and level of detail. Next, we analyse the ten main storylines on stabilising and reconfiguring the role of housing cooperatives in energy system change. Finally, we combine these storylines with cross-cutting societal frames on governmentalizing energy communities from the perspectives of technological anticipation, saving potentials and governance interventions.

The Role of the Church in the Transformation of ‘No Sex Before Marriage’ Social Norm in Tanzania: From Shameful to Responsible Sex

Social norms comprise of “the rules and standards that are understood by members of a group, and that guide and/or constrain social behaviour without the force of laws. Social norms are the public rules of action and thought, acting as the backbone of societal habits, routines, and customs, and legal frames. In African settings, influence is organized mostly along with the gender, age, and religious structures. Religious people play the spiritual and advisory roles in the sexual activities of the adolescents. The standing norm drawn from the religious and social beliefs is “no sex before marriage.” In the communities where the research was done, sex was traditionally linked to marriage. Today more than ever, the Church is currently confronted with a divergence of opinion about sexual relationships and marriage. The reality of our society is the question as to whether the traditional understanding of marriage is still relevant as far as facilitating the believers to make meaningful and responsible choices. The intention of this paper is not to dismiss or under-value the institution of marriage, but rather to re-negotiate the structure of sexual matters in our modern society. The paper works with the concept of social norms in order to shed more light on the role of the Church in the transformation of social norms. Using a thematic analysis on a hypothetical case of a pregnancy of an adolescent in a community, data was interrogated with a series of questions for measuring norms, namely: who the reference group is, what is typical in the group, what is approved of in the group, and whether or not the social norm is conjoint or disjoint.

Framing of nutrition policy issues in the Australian news media, 2008‐2018

ObjectiveMedia framing of nutrition policy issues has been said to play a critical role in influencing public and political support for these issues. We examined the coverage of nutrition policy issues in the Australian news media to determine the key frames and expert sources used by the media. MethodsNews articles published in Australia between 2008 and 2018 were retrieved from key media databases. Content analysis was used to identify nutrition policy issues reported and expert sources used. Frames were identified using a theoretical framework. ResultsSeven nutrition policy categories were identified. Expert sources included representatives from public health, food industry and politicians. Six dominant frames were identified: government responsibility, industry responsibility, societal frame, individual responsibility, parental responsibility and nanny state frame. Nutrition experts tended to use thematic frames while government and food industry sources used episodic frames to deflect responsibility onto individuals. ConclusionsDespite high media representation of thematic frames and government responsibility in addressing nutrition policy issues, limited regulatory policy action has occurred in Australia. Implications for public healthFurther research is needed to better understand different frames and their effectiveness in influencing public and political opinion. Greater coherence amongst health advocates would be beneficial to ensure a collective, recognised voice on issues.

Framing Waste Classification among Chinese Young People: The Moderating Effect of Consideration of Future Consequences

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of two outcome framings – gain-loss framing and individual-societal framing – and an individual difference – consideration of future consequences (i.e. CFC) – on intentions to participate in waste classification and the likelihood of engaging in activities that promote waste classification. The results of an experiment (N = 215) conducted among college students in China demonstrated that individual framing was more effective than societal framing in promoting intentions to participate in waste classification, while there was no relative advantage of gain or loss framing. Furthermore, the effect of individual-societal framing was moderated by CFC. Implications of the findings were also discussed.

How Are the Links between Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer Portrayed in Australian Newspapers?: A Paired Thematic and Framing Media Analysis.

A dose-dependent relationship between alcohol consumption and increased breast cancer risk is well established, even at low levels of consumption. Australian women in midlife (45–64 years) are at highest lifetime risk for developing breast cancer but demonstrate low awareness of this link. We explore women’s exposure to messages about alcohol and breast cancer in Australian print media in the period 2002–2018. Methods: Paired thematic and framing analyses were undertaken of Australian print media from three time-defined subsamples: 2002–2004, 2009–2011, and 2016–2018. Results: Five key themes arose from the thematic framing analysis: Ascribing Blame, Individual Responsibility, Cultural Entrenchment, False Equilibrium, and Recognition of Population Impact. The framing analysis showed that the alcohol–breast cancer link was predominantly framed as a behavioural concern, neglecting medical and societal frames. Discussion: We explore the representations of the alcohol and breast cancer risk relationship. We found their portrayal to be conflicting and unbalanced at times and tended to emphasise individual choice and responsibility in modifying health behaviours. We argue that key stakeholders including government, public health, and media should accept shared responsibility for increasing awareness of the alcohol–breast cancer link and invite media advocates to assist with brokering correct public health information.

THE PERCEIVED LEVELS OF INTOLERANCE FOR PRESS CRITICISM IN PAKISTANI SOCIETY

This study examines the existence, intensity and impacts of intolerance for Press criticism in Pakistani society. It’s generally believed that intolerance for Press criticism leads to professional and psychological complexes for the Press to play its role as a voice for unvoiced and to hold those in power accountable because the Press’s role as the Watchdog compulsively needs high capacities of tolerance in the society to understand the realities and habituate rationalism. As working journalists have to face the direct reaction from masses regarding Press criticism so this paper explores journalist’s perceptions about the presence of intolerance in the societal frame of Pakistan regarding Press’s criticism using survey technique under Likert Scale. The study also incorporates the impacts of intolerance on professionalism in media that induce threats to journalists and compel them to exercise self-censorship which ultimately results in content biases, depriving the citizens of fundamental right of expression. The conclusion provides guidelines for policy making on the subject of Press freedom and social coherence. Also, this study enhances understandings regarding the social sphere of the country and gauges the level of intolerance for media discourses.

Soft news/tabloidization (Journalistic Reporting Styles)

Soft news/tabloidization (Journalistic Reporting Styles)

News Portrayals of Child Sexual Abuse in China: Changes from 2010 to 2019

ABSTRACT This study investigated how the news media in China – a country influenced by collectivism, authoritarianism, and Confucianism – portrayed child sexual abuse to the public over the past decade. A content analysis of 501 newspaper articles published over that time period revealed how news portrayals of child sexual abuse changed following notable abuse cases and refinements in relevant laws in China. The results indicated that media attention to child sexual abuse increased dramatically after 2013, and a trend of shaping child sexual abuse as a social problem began in 2015. This study also found an interesting cultural difference in the application of framing theory. The Chinese news stories of child sexual abuse were more likely to present individual cause frames but societal solution frames. This apparent inconsistency was not seen in previous research with U.S. media and may be attributable to a cultural preference for victim blame and collective solutions. The findings provide insights into news portrayals of child sexual abuse in a developing society. In addition, this study points out potential problems in Chinese news reports on child sexual abuse and offers suggestions for journalists and advocates for children.

Societal uncertainties recognised in recent nuclear and radiological emergencies

The paper aims to stimulate reflection and debate on the issue of uncertainty as a key component of nuclear or radiological emergency management. It identifies and discusses different types of uncertainties that appeared during and after real emergencies. For this, seven different case studies of nuclear and radiological events have been analysed using three separate methodological approaches: i) case descriptions (document review); ii) media analysis; and iii) semi-structured interviews. The overall objective was to elucidate the understanding and response to scientific and social uncertainties, and related ethical issues. A range of different uncertainties were identified and roughly grouped into categories related to: 1) technical and measurement uncertainties; 2) societal impacts and societal framing; 3) contradictory information and communication aspects; 4) ethical aspects. This analysis intends to inform emergency managers on the types of uncertainties that may appear to different actors during nuclear or radiological emergency. The results should serve to stimulate preparation on the uncertainty response and by this also to reduce some of the identified uncertainties.

Beyond Equality and Discrimination

The societal frame of the “economically disadvantaged” is rooted in a distinction between a conceptual status of equality and the actuality of discrimination and disadvantage. This paradigm provides the governing logic for both criticism and justification of the status quo. This Article questions whether and to what extent this equality/antidiscrimination logic has lost its effectiveness as a critical tool and what, if anything, should be the foundation of the rationale that supplements or even replaces it.

Entrepreneurship as a vocational choice in contested entrepreneurship communities: The role of entrepreneurs' justification strategies

Research on the vocational decision to become an entrepreneur highlights how culture justifies such decisions when entrepreneurs align with the dominant cultural norms. Less is known about such justification when entrepreneurship is seen as less culturally appropriate. This qualitative study explores how entrepreneurs in Santiago, Chile and Nairobi, Kenya use strategies that comply, combine, and defy frames to justify vocational choices. Our framework sheds new light on how entrepreneurs act as purposeful cultural agents and use justification strategies to navigate constraining societal frames.

Migration and mobility in petrolands: Reflections on home films of Kerala

ABSTRACTThis article examines the representation of pravasam (gulf migration) and pravasi (gulf migrant) in two “home films” from Malabar, South India, and identifies the shift in the representation of the Gulf in mainstream Malayalam popular culture with the arrival of “home films” in the 2000s. Most of the home films in the early period had the gulf migration as the central theme and the migrant as the central character. Most of these films were also made by gulf migrants themselves, making them self-representations to an extent. The article also examines the various connotations the term pravasi (migrant) acquires at various phases such as when the migrant lives in the gulf, visits the homeland on leave, and finally returns home forever. This article argues that while religion, society, and profession pose challenges to the migrant’s expected, imagined and practiced identity, his/her struggle to (re)-fit into the societal frame reflects on his/her self and family, and explores how home films address these issues.

Sociological perspectives on Islamist radicalization – bridging the micro/macro gap

Radicalization research has been characterized by a sharp opposition between micro and macro perspectives. This article discusses three existing theoretical perspectives and argues that they may bridge the micro/macro gap. A masculinity, gender and intersectionality perspective can help analyse radicalization as a strategy for remasculinization by situating feelings of emasculation in a broader societal frame. A neo-Birminghamian conception of subculture relates individual and group processes to a broader social context by viewing radicalization as an oppositional answer to a shared situation of social and economic marginalization, and othering. Sociology of religious emotions provides an understanding of how emotional outcomes of social marginality can be transformed into individual religious emotions within radical Islamist groups.

The vulnerable-empowered mother of academic food discourses: a qualitative meta-synthesis of studies of low-income mothers and food provisioning

ABSTRACTThe nutritional health and wellbeing of children, and by extension their weight, is a heated topic in contemporary discussions of food and health, particularly for low-income populations. Despite contrary understandings, there remains a dominant societal framing that parents – in particular low-income mothers – are solely responsible for the status of their children’s health and wellbeing. In this paper, we examine how low-income mothers are positioned within the academic literature to reveal where responsibility for children’s health and well-being is positioned. We present a meta-synthesis of 18 qualitative studies to identify how mothers’ food choices and feeding are positioned, and the recommendations that researchers identify for promoting child health within this discursive terrain. We found that low-income mothers faced multiple challenges relating to cost, convenience, concerns about health and wellbeing. However, many of the recommendations made by researchers focused extensively on behavioural interventions aimed at the vulnerable mother rather than structural interventions to support mothers’ feeding practices. We argue that discourses of low-income motherhood must recommend structural, and not just individual, change to counteract dominant constructions of the ‘vulnerable-empowered mother’.

The Hostile Media Phenomenon: Testing the Effect of News Framing on Perceptions of Media Bias

Recent theorizing in hostile media perception (HMP) has focused on the impact of news content on perceptions of media bias. Using a 2 (an outcome frame versus a value frame) × 2 (a societal frame versus an individual frame) experimental design (N = 114), this study examined the differential effects of news frames on perceptions of media bias. The results showed that an outcome frame induced relatively less HMP than a value frame. Further, a societal frame was more likely to elicit HMP than an individual frame when the medical abortion controversy was framed in term of values (vs. outcomes). Directions for future research on the potential impact of news framing on HMP were discussed.

Functional, symbolic and societal frames for automobility: Implications for sustainability transitions

Automobility refers to the continued, self-perpetuating dominance of privately-owned, gasoline-powered vehicles used primarily by single occupants—a system which clearly has broad environmental and societal impacts. Despite increasing societal interest in transitions to more sustainable transportation technologies, there has been little consideration of how such innovations might challenge, maintain or support different aspects of automobility, and what that means for technology deployment, transport policy, and user practices. To bring attention to the complexity and apparent durability of the automobility system, in this paper we develop a conceptual framework that explores automobility through a categorization of frames, or shared cultural meanings. This framework moves beyond the typical focus on private, functional considerations of user choice, financial costs and time use to also consider symbolic and societal frames of automobility that exist among users, non-users, industry, policymakers and other relevant social groups. We illustrate this framework with eight particular frames of automobility that fall into four broad categories: private-functional frames such as (1) cocooning and fortressing and (2) mobile digital offices; private-symbolic frames such as (3) gender identity and (4) social status; societal-functional frames such as (5) environmental stewardship and (6) suburbanization; and societal-symbolic frames such as (7) self-sufficiency and (8) innovativeness. Finally, we start the process of discussing several transportation innovations in light of these automobility frames, namely electrified, autonomous and shared mobility—examining early evidence for which frames would be challenged or supported by such transitions. We believe that appreciation of the complex and varied frames of automobility can enrich discussion of transitions and policy relating to sustainable transportation.