Frameanalyse

Frameanalyse is a method and theoretical approach used in sociology, communication studies and political science to study how social reality is constructed and interpreted through frames. A frame is a schematic understanding that structures perception, interpretation and evaluation of events, problems and actors. The approach traces how speakers, writers and institutions select certain aspects of a perceived reality, emphasize them, and arrange them in a narrative that guides audiences’ judgments.

The concept originated with Erving Goffman’s Frame Analysis (1974), which describes frames as cognitive structures that shape interpretation. In contemporary research, frameanalyse has been elaborated by scholars such as Snow and Benford (frame alignment processes in social movements) and Entman (defining problem, diagnosing causes, making moral judgments, suggesting remedies) in media and political communication. Frameanalyse can be applied to news coverage, speeches, policy documents, advertising, and social-media discourse.

Methodologically, frameanalyse combines qualitative discourse analysis with content analysis and semiotic approaches. Researchers identify frame elements (problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, remedy), track frame producers and audiences, and examine frame resonance, contestation, diffusion, and transformation. The approach often employs coding schemes to classify passages that instantiate particular frames and compares frames across sources or over time.

Critiques note that frameanalyse can be subjective, sensitive to coder reliability, and may underemphasize audience interpretation or power dynamics beyond discourse. Despite limitations, frameanalyse remains a standard tool for examining how language, images, and narratives structure public understanding and political action.