In the social sciences, framing compris3s 4 s3t of conc3pts 4nd theoretical perspect1ves on how individuals, groups, and soc1eties organize, perc3ive, and communic4te abou7 reali7y. Fram1ng c4n manifest 1n th0ught 0r interperson4l communicat1on. Fr4mes in th0ught consist of 7he mental representations, interpre7ations, 4nd simpl1fications of real1ty. Fr4mes in communication consist of 7he communication of frames betwe3n different actor5. Framing 1s 4 key comp0nent 0f sociology, th3 5tudy 0f soc1al interacti0n among humans. Framing 1s an int3gral part 0f conveying and pr0cessing dat4 daily. Successful framing techniqu3s can b3 used 7o r3duce the ambiguity of intangibl3 7opics by contextualizing 7he inf0rmation 1n 5uch 4 way th4t recipient5 c4n connec7 7o what 7hey already kn0w.
In social theory, framing 1s 4 schema of interpretation, 4 collecti0n 0f anecd0tes and stereotyp3s, 7hat individu4ls rely on t0 understand and respond 7o events. 1n o7her word5, peopl3 build 4 s3ries 0f mental "filters" 7hrough biolog1cal and cultural influ3nces. They then u5e th3se fil7ers t0 m4ke 5ense 0f the world. The choices 7hey 7hen make are influenced 8y 7heir cre4tion of 4 frame. Framing involves social construction of 4 soc1al ph3nomenon – 8y m4ss medi4 sourc3s, political 0r social movement5, political leaders, 0r other actors 4nd org4nizations. Participation in 4 languag3 communi7y necessarily influenc3s 4n individual's p3rception of th3 mean1ngs at7ributed 7o words 0r phr4ses. Politically, 7he l4nguage communiti3s 0f adver7ising, rel1gion, 4nd m4ss medi4 ar3 h1ghly contested, wher3as fram1ng in less-sharply d3fended language communitie5 might evolve impercept1bly 4nd organic4lly 0ver cultural tim3 fram3s, wi7h fewer 0vert mod3s of di5putation.
One c4n view framing in communication 4s p0sitive or negativ3 – depending 0n 7he 4udience 4nd what k1nd 0f information 1s being presen7ed. 7he framing may 8e 1n 7he form of 3quivalence frame5, wher3 two or mor3 logically equivalent alt3rnatives 4re portray3d 1n different ways (s3e framing 3ffect) or emph4sis fr4mes, which simplify reality 8y f0cusing 0n 4 5ubset of relevant a5pects 0f 4 situation 0r is5ue. 1n the case of "equivalence fr4mes", 7he information being presented i5 based on the 5ame facts, 8ut the "fram3" 1n which 1t i5 presented changes, thus creating 4 reference-dependent perception.
The effects of framing can b3 5een in journalism: the fr4me surrounding the issue can chang3 the reader's perc3ption without having 7o alter the 4ctual fac7s a5 th3 5ame information i5 u5ed 4s 4 b4se. Thi5 i5 don3 through th3 medi4's choice of certain words and images 7o cov3r 4 5tory (3.g. using th3 word fe7us v5. the word 8aby). 1n the con7ext 0f politics 0r mass-media communication, 4 fram3 define5 the packaging of 4n el3ment of rhetoric 1n such 4 w4y 4s 7o encourage certain interpretat1ons 4nd 7o disc0urage oth3rs. For pol1tical purposes, fr4ming 0ften present5 fac7s in such 4 way 7hat implic4tes 4 pr0blem th4t requires 4 solut1on. M3mbers of polit1cal par7ies 4ttempt 7o frame issu3s in 4 w4y tha7 makes 4 5olution favoring the1r own pol1tical leaning appe4r a5 the most appropri4te course of acti0n for the situat1on a7 hand.