Week 2 - Framing

Framing is an important concept in global health. In essence, it is about how a health issue/policy/intervention etc., is portrayed (framed) publicly. It turns out that different frames can elicit different responses in people and help to shape their attitudes. So, if you want a health policy to be effective in terms of changing behaviour, then framing is key! Please now watch a short presentation by me where I introduce the week's topic.

 Aims and objectives:  

By the end of this week you will be able to:  

During the webinar, there will be an opportunity to discuss your first assessment - the blogpost – and answer any questions you may have about it.  

I like blogging and if you haven't yet had a look at my own blog, check it out! 

Task 1: Podcast  

Framing https://paulcairney.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/podcast-framing-mp3-8-2-16.mp3  

In this 12m podcast, Professor Paul Cairney talks about framing from a policy perspective.  

Task 2: Reading  

Frederick et al (2016) Culture, health, and bigotry: How exposure to cultural accounts of fatness shape attitudes about health risk, health policies, and weight-based prejudice. Social Science and Medicine 165: 271-279. [A pdf of this article is in the Readings folder]

This is a great reading on the importance of frames in combatting bigotry against people who are overweight or obese. It will take a while to work through it but persevere as it provides some great examples of different frames and some fascinating experiments! As you read, make a note of the different frames and which frames were more effective at changing attitudes. To help you, I discuss the paper in the video below. I suggest you read the paper yourself before watching the video.

Task 3: Barak Obama and the security frame

Watch this 4m video by Barack Obama talking about the threat from Ebola to global security. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n9KSuvMPqk&frags=pl%2Cwn 

Framing is not just a tool that public health professionals can use to change the way people think about a health issue. It is also important at the international and global level, even if it is less obvious that framing is being used.  

How we frame a global health challenge is important because it triggers certain associated actions. In the case of the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa in 2014, for example, framing the epidemic as a security threat made it easier to legitimise a military intervention. In this video, then President Obama justifies a military intervention to resolve a global health threat. Note how he frames the health issue as a security threat in order to justify the response. 

Task 4: Reading.  

McInnes, C., Lee, K., 2012. Global Health and International Relations, 1 edition. ed. Polity, Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA.Ch 1 - What is Global Health? The entire book is available online as an e-book from QMUL library but Ch1 has a useful table on how global health is framed. 

Security is just one frame used in global health. This book chapter by McInnes and Lee describes four additional frames. What are they? Can you think of any health issues that use any of these frames? How, for example, is the current Covid-19 pandemic being framed by governments? Is it framed as a security threat, as an economic threat; is it being framed as a threat or as an opportunity? 

Task 5: The framing effect with Michael Correa

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic_0jSPtx_k 

Please watch this video by Michael Correa in which he explains why framing so effective. The video describes a well-known psychological experiment in which respondents were asked to choose between two policies to respond to a virus outbreak.  

The example is based on the work of Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and behavioural economist Daniel Kahneman. He has written a book about his experiments called Thinking Fast and Slow. It is an amazing book; very readable and one I heartily recommend. 

The example shows how important framing is – in this case, how we respond differently to word constructions as simple as ‘lives saved’ vs ‘number of deaths’. This is an example of a cognitive bias, which I talked about in my video. Marketing and advertising executives know these biases only too and exploit them to get us to buy their clients’ products or manipulate our behaviour. 

Task 6: Images - framing the Covid response 

The discipline of cognitive psychology has had a significant role in the government’s response to Covid-19. Nudge theory and behavioural science informed government policy. As an example, and thinking about the video you have just watched, compare these two well-know images: 

https://theday.co.uk/stories/confusion-as-stay-alert-replaces-stay-home  

How is the message ‘framed’ in each example? Referring to the YouTube video you’ve just watched on framing, can you begin to appreciate why particular words ‘matter’ in terms of creating a positive message? 

Task 7: Reading 

Please read Lakoff, G. (2004) Framing 101: How to take back public discourse. Extract from Lakoff 'Don't think of an elephant! Know your values and frame the debate - The essential guide for progressives. [There is a pdf of this article in the Readings folder]

Framing is an incredibly powerful debating skill. Have you ever wondered why politicians never answer the question they are asked in interviews? Well there’s a very good reason for that. This chapter from George Lakoff's book 'Don't think of an elephant!' Tells you why. It's a fascinating and accessible article on framing and should take you about an hour to read.  

Task 8: The political dimension of framing  

In this final presentation for the week, I describe the political implications of framing, and explain how it can improve your debating skills!