114G/obrien
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Final Semester Essay: April-May
Final Semester Essay: Juxtaposing & evaluating competing frames
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GOT FRAMES? HOW GOOD ARE THEY? HOW DO YOU KNOW?
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Can you build a better frame?
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Important claims of “frame theory” from a scholar: Schudson, (2011)
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“[e]very narrative account of reality presents some things and not others. … (26)
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”… all representations are selective.”(26) “The very process of compression” (26)
necessitates distortions. ”… it would be humanly impossible to avoid
framing.”(29) …every narrative makes assumptions about how the world works,
what is important, what makes sense, what should be.”(p.29) “Decisions about
framing …. Are moral, ethical and political judgments, whether conscious or
unconscious.” (pp. 24-25)
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My 2 cents….we can’t take Schudson’s claims at face value
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We need to carefully define “distortion” so that it helps rather than hinders our
understanding
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Frames are inherently problematic types of knowledge. We need to critically
analyze problematic knowledge and continually seek out new information to build
better frames.
Nuts & Bolts
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Due Dates: check the Revised Schedule
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Length Expectation: Minimum 6.5 pp of textPage 1 of 3
114G/obrien
Final Semester Essay: April-May
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You should cite at least six sources. Use what we already have: Bamford’s
endnotes and procon.org to lead you to additional sources-
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Attribution Expectation: APA – both in-text and References
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Thesis-building: every option is guided by the same set of questions: Whose frame
do you buy? Why? Whose frame do you not buy? Why? (This is the same
framework as Essay I.)
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Develop an academic argument in which you take a stand on competing frames
and support it with concepts/theories, claims, evidence and explanations.
Your essay should include 1-3 paragraphs that discuss frame theory and frames;
you can use everyday examples to help readers. You must use and cite Schudson
quotations above, and my Intro to Framing slides, relevant excerpts from the
Syllabus and your own work. You will apply this discussion to your evidence and
claims to help connect and explain the pieces of your argument.
Do not just do google searches unless you want a specific U.S. government public
document. If you are not sure if a source is OK, check with me!
For any option, please use the many resources on the procon.org Iraq War website:
http://usiraq.procon.org/website to develop a background understanding and an
argument, e.g., timelines, Glossary, maps….
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Please choose one of the four Essay options below:
Option #1: Competing Frames for 9-11 Motivations
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Summarize and analyze three sets/sources of frames:
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Terrorists’ own frames of their motives in Bamford, and in the “bin Laden Announcement
Transcript”
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Bush’s framing of the motives for the attack in at least one of his 9.11.01 -9.20.01 speeches to
the nation (YouTube, Bamford and any other original sources)
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The 9-11 Commission Report’s framing of the motives for the 9-11 attacks
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Final Semester Essay: April-May
Option #2: Competing Frames to prevent further attacks
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Summarize and analyze three sets of prevention frames:
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Terrorists’ own frames for preventing future attacks using Bamford and bin Laden
Announcement.
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Bush’s frames for preventing future attacks, and The 9-11 Commission Report’s frames for how
to prevent further attacks
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Option #3: Competing frames for Pres. Bush’s Iraq War Sales Pitch
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Using Bamford and relevant sources on procon.org, evaluate at least two competing frames for
one controversial aspect of the Bush sales pitch.
Sales Pitch FRAMES on procon.org
Available
Human Rights
Intelligence
Concerns in Iraq
Legality of
Preemptive
Warfare
Oil as a Reason
for Invading Iraq
Possibility for
Democracy in
Iraq
United Nations
Resolutions
Violations
Iraq as a Threat
to the United
States
Safety of the
United States
Iraqi Weapons of Possible Ties
Mass Destruction Between Iraq, alQaeda, and 9/11
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Option #4: Competing frames for Iraq War Controversies
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Using sources Iraq War on procon.org, evaluate at least two competing frames for one
controversial aspect of the Iraq War from this list- which is copied from procon.org:
MAIN TOPICS
Iraqi
Sectarianism
Safety and
Security
Insurgency and
Terrorism
Prisoners of
War
Cost of the
War
Sub-topics
Iraqi Ethnic
and Religious
Groups
US and Iraq
Safety and
Security
Insurgency
Enemy vs.
Unlawful
Combatants
Estimates and
Cost
Comparisons
Sectarian
Violence
Private
Contractors in
Iraq
Terrorism
Abu Ghraib
Reconstruction
Costs
Torture
Casualties
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