ReadingAnimals

Last week I wrote about some of the key concepts from the book Don’t think of an elephant by George Lakoff and why they are important for elephant advocates. If you missed the first installment of Framing Elephants, pr want to review, click away.

Today I want to continue with the idea of framing and advocacy by talking about some myths described by Lakoff that can hamper our efforts to help elephants if they get the better of us.

Myth #1, If people only had more/better/accurate information, they would come around to a pro-elephant (animal/whatever) position by the sheer power of reason.

That sure makes sense to me, but it’s not necessarily the case. A bulleted list of statistics about foot pathology, miscarriage rates and deaths of young elephants in zoos is just a bulleted list, or *gasp* a flyer that goes into the garbage - not even the recycling, if the framing isn’t right. If people get information that conflicts with their frame, they will probably dispense with the information that does fit before they change their point of view. (Ah, yes. Cognitive dissonance.)

What does this first myth mean for elephant advocacy?

• Resist the urge to respond with raw fact. Check the framing first. Oh this is hard for me as a scientist!
• Don’t assume that “not getting it” and “stupid” are the same thing. It makes patronizing very tempting and disincentivises dialogue.
• Don’t assume that the discursive strategies of those who see things differently than you (for now!) involve lying for the heck of it and thus get all tangled up in finding and exposing lies.

Myth #2: When using frames as a part of advocacy, you are reaching out to people who share your point of view.

That is partially true, but not the whole picture when the goal is change. Using frames is useful when there is a need to communicate messages to people who don’t yet share your point of view, especially those who have not yet taken a position on a certain issue. Lakoff gives some great examples on pages 23-25.

In the next entry, we’ll explore how double-speak and appropriating language can be at once frustrating and informative.

See more from this book:
Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives