Category: AERC2009 (Adult Education Research Conference)

A frame (Snow and Benford) is a “schema of interpretation” – a way of explaining the society around us. An example of a social frame is a school (children, flag outside, etc.). These are socially constructed. Frame alignment is when people agree on social frames and then these people move forward with social movements. This can be spoken as an issue is constructed as an issue of some sort or another. These frames can be grass-roots or top-down. Framing situations use language based on how an issue is perceived / constructed. Frame bridging is when certain ideologically congruent but structurally unconnected frames are linked. Frame amplification is when something is focused upon, and how this framing is used politically by whomever is empowering the framing. Frame extension is when an adherent pool of the movement is now being partnered with various values—these can implode on themselves. Frame transformation is an alteration of the frames.

These deal with how people use socially constructed frames to push forward some issue or another.

Frame processes that can be used with educational perspectives:

• frame bridging
• frame amplification
• frame extension
• frame transformation

From these four frame alignment processes, how can educators use them to help move education forward as a political agenda? How can these processes be used? How does power maintain itself? One way about this is by showing how opposing frames can be ridiculous, causing it to implore.

It is interesting how these framing issues have turned into a larger discussion about how various issues within professional organizations. The issue about using various keywords that  may or may not be exclusionary was discussed.

Andre Grace is speaking about his new institute at the University of Alberta, iSMSS (Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services), and he explained how he first started doing this work. Quite interesting work. Nice twist with referring to at risk as at promise. Andre always gives me something to think about. He makes a good point about how he now writes for the mainstream, and then slides queer into it. This is a thread which we spoke about earlier in the pre-conference, and I think many issues can be addressed in this light, especially when considering issues of justice and adult education.

Interesting reflection about acceptance and teaching it. As Andre is from Canada, he does not need to speak about acceptance of people; but rather about levels of respect, rights, safety, and security. He blends law and lawsuits into “tolerance” work with educators, rather than speaking about issues directly. In other words, meet people with giving them their WIIFM, especially if the WIIFM involves not getting sued.

Note to self; consider the use of language to best  help the audience accept your message. While I do normally think about this when i teach organizational communication, I do not normally think about this when considering educational issues and focusing on critical pedagogy.

Really interesting work with Camp fYrefly, which I have heard of over the years and which helps youth who struggle with issues around gender and sexual identity, which is referred to as sexual minority status in Canada. Nicely progressive.

This is the 7th Annual LGBTQ&A Pre-Conference at the 50th Annual Adult Education Research Conference. We are in a nice room on the 5th floor at National Louis University, overlooking the Art Institute of Chicago.

Nice slideshow with an overview of the history of LGBT issues in the US (and beyond). Interesting how this seems interesting, especially after the California Supreme Court decision yesterday. Now, into the introductions . . .

People are mentioning what they have done, published, etc. Some of the online journals, such as New Horizons and Radical Pedagogy were discussed.