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The concept of framing has received many definitions from various theoretical approaches over the years. Four basic elements of a frame are the sender, the receiver, the message, and the reference reality (Ardèvol-Abreu, 2015: 423). It is, therefore, a condition in which certain pieces of reality are selected and their significance emphasized, with the goal of clarifying the problem and its causes in order to find more solutions, while also organizing the relationships between senders and receivers of messages (Ardèvol-Abreu, 2015: 424).
Within a frame, the way an element is perceived is defined, as it acts as if giving shape and form to its components, to the actions, thoughts, and attitudes of those involved (Westin, n.d.). It is the dynamics of the frame that determine expectations and provide cues guiding how to use a medium, thereby also indicating the relationships between them. The very presence of the frame gives meaning to these elements (Westin, n.d.).
Frow notes, as cited in the text frame (2) (Westin, n.d.):
“The frame has something important to say about how realities are constructed and maintained… a central implication regarding the concept of genre is therefore that the realities within and between which we live are not transparently conveyed, but are mediated through systems of representation: through speech, writing, action, images, and sound.”
From Gregory Bateson’s perspective, a holistic view began to emerge, seeing the mind as part of a system that includes the person along with their environment (Bateson, 2017: 12). He considered that there is always a new way to interpret a seemingly clear event, which is identified in the process the scientist follows to investigate the subject of interest (Bateson, 2017: 30). The mind is located beyond the narrow spatial boundaries of the body and skin, encompassing every element it is related to and participating in its biological system, now considered as a circuit of ideas (Bateson, 2017: 12).
The concept of framing, as formulated by Gregory Bateson in 1972, in psychological terms, defined the frame as a temporally and locally bounded set of messages arising from interaction and functioning as a meta-communication element (Arowolo, 2017: 1). He specifically stated that the type of thought and behavior that appears at any given moment is related to the frame in which it is contained and generated, and that these elements indicate their role within the overall frame (Westin, n.d.).
Within a frame, we can distinguish different elements, sets of biological systems, or people acting individually or collectively, always in relation to the frame in which they exist. Each biological system can be understood by considering five basic aspects of unity among its properties.
The first is the structural aspect, where the behavior of an element shows consistency relative to other distinct elements at the cognitive level. This is a systemically acceptable behavior concerning relationships considered consistent within this frame (Bateson, 2017: 99).
The second aspect is the emotional, where we can understand emotional satisfaction and dissatisfaction as outcomes of an organized system action and its permissible and expected consequences (Bateson, 2017: 99). The third aspect is the economic unity, which relates to material objects and the processes concerning them. The fourth aspect is the chronological and spatial unity, where organization depends on temporal and local parameters. Finally, the fifth aspect is the sociological unity, which concerns the interactions of elements in relation to the survival and dissolution of the frame’s structural cohesion (Bateson, 2017: 99).
References
Ardèvol-Abreu, M. (2015). Framing theory in communication research in Spain: Origins, development and current situation. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 70, 423–450.
Arowolo, S. (2017). Understanding framing theory. Lagos State University/School of Communication.
Bateson, G. (2017). Steps to an Ecology of Mind [Βήματα για μια Οικολογία του Νου]. Thessaloniki: University Studio Press.
Westin, M. (n.d.). Frame (2). The Chicago School of Media Theory. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/mediatheory/keywords/frame-2/