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Frame Alignment Processes in Anti-Poverty Movement Websites

Abstract

Transnational social movement organizations (SMOs) must construct and align frames that resonate with potential supporters within a national context, while remaining congruent with the message of the global social movement. Snow, Rochford, Worden and Benford's (1986) and Snow and Benford's (2000) theoretical work in core framing tasks and frame alignment processes point out the importance of framing to collective identity formation, and yet no research has been conducted on the frame processes of the largest anti-poverty movement, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP). This study was planned to uncover core framing tasks and frame alignment processes within the web sites of two GCAP national platforms, Make Poverty History (MPH) Canada and the ONE campaign in the United States, to determine the likelihood of, and the Internet's role in, frame resonance. Content analysis compared text and visual media within the web site of each national campaign using the Snow et al. (1986) and Snow and Benford (2000) core framing tasks and frame alignment processes. The data analysis revealed that MPH and ONE use culturally relevant language and visual media to frame the anti-poverty movement, while addressing core framing tasks in the same manner as GCAP. While the Internet was not specifically required for frame alignment, it is likely that the Internet serves as mediator for individuals to negotiate their collective identity as GCAP supporters.