C-SPAN2 broadcast: Dr. George Lakoff presentation on "Framing" before the "Commonwealth Club of San Francisco"
..of course, that's if he's nominated.
Today I watched Lakoff present fascinating insights into how "framing" has structured American politics from our common notions of family and moral values. This is especially significant today, since it's used by powerful (neo)conservative think-tanks to frame public debate and to skew government policy-making with policies, which do not necessarily serve the interests of our nations common values.
Lakoff also offers insights into the Alito nomination hearing, as an example, to what may be a dangerous trend in America towards "absolute conservatism", which grew from a "Strict Father" model of the world view.
Below, Lakoff warns that Alito's appointment to the SCOTUS will have real consequences. The Alito hearings revealed that his views and positions was not open towards an open interpretation of the Constitution; but subconsciously, 'framed' according to his conservative beliefs and notions towards "strict" family values. Ultimately, it's this mindset that would frame our democracy against the nation's common values.
Lakoff also offered other insights into how Democrats should frame issues on health care, abortion and etc by focussing our the issues that share America's common moral values.
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Professor George Lakoff
University of CA, Berkeley
Author, "Don't Think of an Elephant"
Forum: Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, 1/12/2006
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GEORGE LAKOFF PRESENTATION OUTLINE ON C-SPAN2
I. GOP have powerful "Think-tanks" (The Heritage Foundation)
1. It's Big Business (cites The Heritage Foundation). They spend $3 Billion/yr on framing policy.
- 8:1 ratio spending difference between Repubs versus Dems, respectively.
- Active/aggressive campaign towards getting Conservative pundits (80%) into media
- On Shiavo case, for example, they had 15 full-time booking agencies to get conservatives into MSM very quickly.
II. What is Framing?
* He cites Mark Schmidt's blog... who noted that it's the Congress that must be reformed.
* Example: "Lobby Reform" is a GOP Frame suggesting it's the lobbyist problem. Instead, this is about "Congressional Integrity" , and the betrayal of public trust.
III. How does 'Framing" work?" (cites Alito nomination)
A frame is a conceptional structure,.. built on "repitition."
o Framing has to do with how brain works, ... It's physically real (structured by how our brain operates). The "frame therefore is phyically in your brain, and it gets there through continual repitition. But this (message) is what has happened in the US for the past 35 years. It has become part of most peoples frames, ...physically.
Example 1: Let's take the notion of "Strict Contructionalism", from this week Alito hearings;
o Alito says, "I do what the law requires," but he broadly offers a narrow interpretation that he'll "do what the Constitution says". Alito argued that the "law requires it, not me"; yet Alito has written dissenting opinions (against what's the "law"). ...It's almost as if, he's a machine. This is strange given that he would judge according to the law, yet at the same time that he would judge according to his dissenting opinions.
o There is "funnyness" in this reasoning,...in the very notion of the "strict construction" of the Constitution. In order for any case to reach the SC, it must NOT fit the normal categories. ... Therefore, it's the SC that must extend or contract these "categories" to make it fit in some way.
o The SC changes the meaning of the words by narrowing or broadening the issue. ...There is no way that any SC justice can avoid doing it. As such, they are already changing the meaning of the words; and they consequently, change the world.
o Therefore, there is NO such thing as a "STRICT CONSTRUCTION" of the Constitution. It is cognitively impossible, ask any cognitive scientist.
Example 2: What is the world view?
o Alito says he wouldn't follow an agenda; however,
o This is not an agenda frame, --- a conscious list of goals. What's at issue is, the "world view".
o At question is, how does the judge understand the world view,because it's usually unconscious thinking. There's a notion of having "common sense." However, there is no such thing as, universal common sense, it doesn't exist, Everybody has frames and everybody has a world view, but since it's structured biologically in our (his) brain, then that defines "common sense."
IV. How Republicans use "Categorization" to frame issues: It's centered on Family Values:
1. First, 'What's a Conservative?'
o What does abortion have to do with a flat tax? ..and the flat tax have to do with environmental regulation? They're against environmental regulation but for owning guns, what do these have to do with each other? And they're for tort reform, so what does this have to do with owning guns? Ididn't get it.
o So I asked, what are my views,.. and I couldn't get it, embarrassingly.
2. Family Values frame the world view and therefore shape debate.
o The answer came from the conservative think-tanks, it's about Family values
o It turns out that the nation is a "Family"
o We speak of metaphors, such as "Founding Fathers", "The Motherland', 'Sending our sons and daughters to war","Daughters of the Revolution," "The Fatherland".
o It is normal to understand large social groups into the most common social group, ---- the Family.
V. There are 2 Idealized "Family Value" Models that frame our World View:
1. The "STRICT FATHER MODEL" (Conservative Socialist VIEW):
* He cites example of Rev. Dobson of Christian Coalition using the "Strict Father model" in view of this morality model,...who believes that a moral authority figure shall exert power to punish; and tell you what's good or bad.
* Why?
o because there is competition in the world, and there are winners and losers, and he must teach how to be a "winner".
o because there is evil in the world, he is the protector and moral authority and must teach 'good"
* Therefore, anything that violated must be punished, as an incentive to do right and develop internal discipline.
* This allows them to argue why social programs are immoral, since it takes away ability to be self-disciplined, it's not part of their conservative throught.
2. The "NURTURING PARENT MODEL" (The Progressive View)
* Nurturing recognizes empathy...
* Responsibility to take care of children and instill social values.
* Basic notions: "empathy, responsbility, and protections."
VI. What interferes with the "Strict Father Model"?
* Gov't regulation :
* Taxes :
* Civil Justice systems :
- Ironcially, he adds that policies against this have stood in direct opposition to their own strict world view. Fortunately, most people fall in balance between both family value models, ...most Americans are "biconceptional."
- The Dems need a "Political Philosophy that constructs a world view that address the common good...
VII. Q&A Session
Q: What are Dems to do?
A: This another frame. The assumption that it's up to Dem leaders, rather than "ourselves", which constrains our world view, it's up to the grassroots, public.
We need an informed progressive public to get the message out,.. because it's important to use repitition to get the message out. The Congress have there constraints. They are under pressure,.. Ginrich cut the Congressional stafF. in effect, Gingrich and the GOP have successfully cut the Dems staff, because the GOP have their 40 think-tanks and don't need as as large a staff to make the rules/laws into policy. So, Dems have always been on the defense. So, as a result they focus on speicfic issues,because they rely on polls, not nec the overall vision and values that shape the world view.
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Q: Conservatives seem more like radicals but seem to common message, while progressives are all over the map. How can Progresives touch the hearts and minds of the greater public?...
A: We must be focusing on the moral values, on empathy, responsibility,... and what follows from that, sch as protection, community and all those values. ..
There are 6 types of progressives: ...and all are based on a nurturing morality, ... but each think they're the true progressives, and that others are wrong.. That's a disaster! We need to learn to overcome that.
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Q: How do Dems communicate to Conservatives?
A: Well, Dobson is not someone who has "biconceptional thinking", .. I couldn't communicate with someone like that. But most conservatives are biconceptinal, and have "nurturing positions". We need to identify what their progressive heart is... their common values. Actually many "conservatives actually identify with what we value as nurturing,... like community service...they love the land,.. like hunters fishers, enjoy and love the land,.. that's nurturing. There's public education and public health,.. that's nurturing. But there is a real attempt in thiscountry to make everybody a total conservatives, but it's not there. ...
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A version of this post can also be seen at;
http://securingamerica.com/...