Coalition Framing and the Challenge of a Consonant Frame Pyramid: The Case of a Collaborative Response to Homelessness. (30th July 2014) - Croteau, David
Abstract : This article examines framing processes in a coalition context. We argue that, if they are to avoid debilitating frame disputes, coalitions seeking social change face the unique task of developing a "consonant frame pyramid, " which aligns coalition, organizational, and individual frames. We show the usefulness of these concepts for understanding framing through analysis of a local coalition formed to better meet the needs of the homeless. Using information gathered via interviews, participant observation, and documents, we describe several of the organizational frames that were contending for adoption as the larger coalition's frame, and detail two of the frame disputes that developed. We explore the source of these frame disputes and the factors that influenced the emerging coalition frame. We contend that organizations vary in their ability to promote a coalition frame due to varying degrees of power, different organizational structures, and varying degrees of "fit" between organizational frames and the existing political opportunities and constraints. These findings reveal coalition frames as the emergent products of ongoing intraand inter-organizational dynamics, and help specify framing's links to mobilizing structures and political opportunity.