Communication & Conflict Management Sept. 1 and 3, 2015 PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

1. Announcements PowerPoint Summary of: Framing 1.Vouchers needed by end of next week. Please turn them in!! 2.Personal skills assessment was due at 9 am today. You have a “grace period,” however, until midnight tonight. After that, late penalties are ½ grade/day.

Framing! PowerPoint Summary of: Framing This week’s topic :

Frames are cognitive shortcuts—in a sense— categories--that people use to help make sense of complex information. PowerPoint Summary of: Framing What are “frames?”

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing For instance? What do you see here?

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Or here?

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Conflict Frames Conflict can be framed positively or negatively… –As a danger or –As an opportunity

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Conflict Frames People in the conflict can be framed positively or negatively –Identity frames –Characterization frames

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Conflict Frames The conflict structure can be framed positively or negatively –win-lose situation, (competitive process) –win-win situation, (cooperative process) – risk-gain/worst-case – best-case –into-the-sea framing

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Conflict Frames The substance (what the conflict is about) can be framed differently –Interests –Rights –Power –Needs

Interests Interests are desires or goals--the things that people want to achieve in a conflict

Rights Rights are independent standards of fairness that are either socially recognized or formally established in law or contract. Include: reciprocity, precedent, equality, and seniority.

Power Ability to get what you want – often narrowed down to one of three forms— coercive power. Coercive power gets people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do through threat or force.

Needs Fundamental things needed for survival, growth and development. Includes –Physical needs –Psychosocial needs: security, identity, recognition, sense of belongingness, self- determination (Maslow)

Maslow’s human needs Burton: Identity, Security, Recognition

PowerPoint Summary of: Framing Conflict Frames The context (lenses) can be different –Cultural/worldview frames –Personal experience frames

Conflict Communication & Framing in Farmingville Take out a piece of paper (to hand in) and make a chart on it that looks like this:

Frames/framingDescription 1. Identity frames 2. Characterization frames 3. Outcome frames (win-win, win-lose, best-case, worst-case, into-the-sea) 4. Issue frames (interests, rights, power, needs, values) 5. Conflict management/process frames 6. Context frames (cultural/worldview; personal experience frames)

Conflict Communication & Framing in Farmingville Try to fill out as many examples as you can about these items as you watch the movie.

Common Framing Errors 1.Assuming you know what the other person thinks 2.Assuming everyone sees things as you do, or if not, then assuming you are right. 3.Presenting the problem in a positional, either-or way, or as a demand with no options for discussion. 4.Assuming there is only one approach or one solution to the problem – yours! 5.Assuming force is the only way to get your needs met. PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

How do you avoid these errors?

Principles of Reframing Every strong statement contains some important perception or kernel of truth. There usually is an underlying interest that prompted the strong statement. People usually want a constructive response to their statements. PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

Principles of Reframing People often switch to more productive communication when they believe they are being listened to and their needs are being addressed. Question: how might you bring this about? PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

Steps of Reframing Listen to the statement. Work to understand the speaker’s underlying interest or need. Ignore or remove the toxic or distracting words from the statement. Restate the message to the speaker (“so you….” including the real issue or interest in constructive, positive terms.) Check it out: “Is that it?” or “Do I understand correctly?” Try to figure out the INTEREST hiding under the emotion. PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

Let’s try it: Suppose your project partner says: “It’s obvious you don’t care about our grade. All you care about is partying and getting by.” What is their essential message? (Remember, emotions can be part of the essential message.) What makes it hard for you to hear their essential message? How do most people respond to this message? How could you reframe this message to make it more effective? PowerPoint Summary of: Framing

Richard Reuben – News Media article 1.Under what conditions does the news media’s coverage of conflict lead to constructive or destructive outcomes? 2.How does Reuben define “constructive” and “destructive” outcomes?

Richard Reuben – News Media article 3.How does he define escalation? (What are the 5 dimensions?) –# participants –Amount of resources –# of issues –Narrowness or broadness of issues –Goals of the parties (how extreme)

Richard Reuben – News Media article 4.Can escalation be constructive? (How?) 5.How does all this relate to the media? 6.How does this relate to the framing of conflicts?

Richard Reuben – News Media article 7. What is “issue dualism”? 8. What is ethnocentrism, and how does it relate to framing, escalation, and constructive and destructive conflicts?

Lakoff and Political Framing What is “different” about political message framing? What does that mean about how the “political game” is played?

Lakoff and Political Framing Extra credit opportunity: –Watch a debate this fall. Transcribe at least 10 of the statements and analyze how the issue is being framed. What is the effect of this framing on the discussion? On the Presidential race (in your opinion)? (Use Lakoff and Reuben in your analysis.)