The goal of this project is for you to apply all of the rhetorical analysis skills you refined during Module 2, and practice your new skill of framing analysis in an arena of public discourse, which you will actually do later in Module 4. Framing models are contrasted by Lakoff (2004) as applicable to conservatives and progressives in order to encourage his audience of progressive activists to find ways to create solidarity between their own sub-groups. In what extends from Lakoff, Ryan and Gamson (2006) use a case study of a Rhode Island domestic violence awareness movement to illustrate that while framing is a crucial tool for social change, broader concrete efforts must also fuel the movement. With a focus just on the technique of framing, Entman (1993) proposes that the communication discipline could accumulate the wide variety of framing work to develop an inter-disciplinary theory. Entman (1993) diagrams the practice of “framing” to show that framing analysis could be systematized. These three articles provide specific descriptions of framing that could be adopted by you for use as tools for framing analysis of other texts.
Prompt: Building upon your rhetorical analysis skills, add framing analysis and website evaluation to investigate 2-3 websites. Select 1 website for the sole purpose of providing a contrast because this helps to extract the frame in your target website by noticing the differences. This is more of an analysis project than it is a formal writing assignment, so it does not have to fit the conventions of an essay. Document your analysis in a journal/outline format the way you do when you are conducting research, and compose the short writing tasks as would be appropriate for the particular writing situation, if any. For the subject matter of this project, you have a choice between five options, the first remains with the health issues, and the others dip into Module 4, so you can view this as a first step for the project in Module 4. These options are:
(1) Labor Movement, Food Movement (or other activist movement). Conduct a website evaluation, rhetorical analysis, and framing analysis of 2-3 (anti-)organic food movement websites. Post a planned targeted comment to each website based on analysis of other users’ comments. For Labor, begin with BasicIncome (Links to an external site.); for Food, begin with CCOF (Links to an external site.) or BacktoFarm.com (Links to an external site.) (if BacktoFarm is working) or a website for any movement of your choice with my approval, which could happen in your Module 3 Reflection+Direction Journal assignment.
(2) Internship. Conduct a website evaluation, rhetorical analysis, and framing analysis of 2-3 internship related websites relevant to your field, and compose an e-mail internship inquiry. If you do not already have a “dream job or company” in mind, begin instead by looking at job search websites using http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/intern-reviews-SRCH_KO0,6.htm (Links to an external site.) then move on to analyze the Glassdoor website frame as it is a recruiting business offering employment connections. The reason for starting with Glassdoor is that it is different from all the other job search websites because it offers a lot of insight to the job seeker while assuming that the job seeker has a lot of power in choosing where to work. Just looking at the slim jobsearch websites is intended to give you practice with framing analysis in a smaller sphere instead of expending your effort analyzing a company that you are not necessarily interested in.
(3) Job/Career. Conduct a website evaluation, rhetorical analysis, framing analysis of 2-3 job search websites related to your field, post a planned targeted comment, and compose a job inquiry. Begin with http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm (Links to an external site.); also consider looking at www.themuse.com (Links to an external site.) or shop for some job search sites relevant to your career goals; some industries have specialized job search sites; some are through professional associations. The reason for starting with Glassdoor is that it is different from all the other job search websites because it offers a lot of insight to the job seeker while assuming that the job seeker has a lot of power in choosing where to work. This is also intended to give you practice with framing analysis in a smaller sphere instead of expending your effort analyzing a company that you are not necessarily interested in. If do already have a “dream job or company” in mind, feel free to initiate your framing analysis on that company. To establish a contrast for your framing insights, choose a company that contrasts by size, longevity, private sector/public sector (government), corporate/small business, business model (e.g Uber vs. Taxis).
(4) Grad School. For grad school goals, you have several options depending on how far along you are on your path to Grad school. (a) You could do your framing analysis of 2-3 grad schools and departments, but be sure to bring one in for a contrast (private/public; small /large school; level of prestige; longevity; reputation). (b) Conduct a website evaluation, rhetorical analysis, framing analysis of 2-3 graduate school testing websites (GRE, LSAT), and analyze a set of five test questions, and/or compose a sample practice test essay. Begin with http://www.ets.org/gre/ (Links to an external site.) or http://www.lsac.org/JD/LSAT/about-the-LSAT.asp (Links to an external site.) ; contrast that official site with a lower level test prep site. Note that you can adjust this for your purposes, and/or save some of it for your Module 4 project. (c) Conduct framing analysis for your target grad school and department and draft your personal statement in alignment with your framing analysis.
(5) other option that we agree upon through your Journal or e-mail, such as a business plan, five-year career plan, business start-up concepts, etc. We’ll likely have to discuss this to set it up, so send an email or visit me during office hours.
For supporting resources to do the tasks noted above, click on your chosen option for additional readings and videos.
Criteria for Evaluation: Successful projects earning a “C” will accomplish the following tasks:
(1) Provide a synthesized definition of framing analysis and how to do it using Lakoff, Ryan & Gamson, and Entman. Cite them as appropriate and list the elements you focused on for your framing analysis.
(2) Perform, document and reflect thoughtful rhetorical analysis of your selected websites (claims, types of development, development strategies, appeals (ethos/logos/pathos), purpose strategies, interesting underlying assumption, fallacies perhaps; not what the website is saying but what you are analyzing for how they are saying it).
(3) Perform, document and reflect thoughtful framing analysis of your selected websites. (Use the list of how to analyze framing that you synthesized from Lakoff, Ryan & Gamson, & Entman to select out tools that are useful for your individual websites. These will not be what the site says but the set of underlying assumptions that comprise their frame, which is their worldview. One way to get at this is to ask how they seem to see their industry in society (their role) and how they see themselves in society and in the industry. Be sure to examine power relations. For example, in the job search websites, who is granted the most power, the employers or the job candidates/employees?)
(4) Include at the end your framing analysis comparison/contrast after improving it using additional analysis work and your feedback from your Module 3 Sample analysis recently submitted. That is, improve your framing analysis and check your feedback for your Mod 3 Sample.
(5) Perform and document your evaluation of your selected websites (see Critical Evaluation of Resources
(6) Compose the short text, if relevant, for your project with deliberate, justified attention to your rhetorical situation.Explain your reasons for choosing what words, message, and structure to use. This would include good audience analysis. For a job inquiry e-mail, which you do not have to actually send, be sure to skim Cold e-mail tips.
Learning Outcomes (detailed):
_ Explain and evaluate complex print, digital, and multimodal texts that engage significant academic, professional, or civic issues;
_ Analyze and apply rhetorical principles appropriate to different purposes and goals, within specific disciplinary, professional and civic communities;
_ Research and contribute to specific areas of inquiry by evaluating, synthesizing, and integrating strategies and sources appropriate to genre;
_ Adapt and employ conventions to communicate with diverse audiences who are members of or affected by a specific area or discipline.
