ABSTRACT
Framing is a key element in political processes of contention, a cognitive process of interpretation and social construction. It is only through exploring the ways social movement activists frame and reframe their sociopolitical environment that we can argue convincingly that a particular change in the political conditions acted as an incentive for contentious politics. Hence the study of framing allows for a deeper and more dynamic analysis of contention. Specifically, the attentiveness to framing/reframing processes increases our understanding with regard to:
The relationship between various groups within a movement and the overall internal dynamics of the movement;
The role of cognition;
The historical specificity of the conditions upon which contention develops and triggers;
How movements cope with their various opponents’ attempts at repression; and
The link between strategy and tactics.
