Activists as Claimsmakers and Experts as Claimsmakers

Activists as Claimsmakers (Best CH. 3) and Experts as Claimsmakers Summary Best 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Advocates for the Social Constructivist Perspective Interested in the claimsmaking process How they are defined and how claims are made “Natural” History of Social Problems Advances **Claims Underlying condition How is it that people perceive this underlying condition Media Coverage Brings attention to the claim(s) Public Reaction Can measure the public's reaction through public opinion polling There’s always a feedback process into the claim(s) Policy Making Ex. civil rights movement Proposal About how to fix the underlying problem Social Problems Work Policy implementation The Structure of Claims Claims: call attention to a troubling condition (p. 29) → But how are we to know what is “troubling”? Grounds / Diagnostic Frame Info / data / evidence To create a Troubling Impression 1. Start w/a typifying example 2. Name the issue 3. Provided data & stats about the issue Warrants / Motivational Frame Justifies taking action; appeals to values Conclusions / Prognostic Frame Solutions; States what should be done 1. Resource Mobilization To get stuff done Resources: money, members, skills, organization 2. Cultural and Political Opportunities Timing matters Cultural opportunity: large shifts in cultural frameworks; what things mean to people Ex. gay marriage Political opportunity: change in the distribution of power Are All Claims Equal? No How do we evaluate these claims? Data → Evidence Evaluating Claims - Charlottesville Video Grounds: Black on black crime Typifying examples Blacks just do the wrong thing(s) Ex. People like Trayvon Martin deserve to get shot Blacks are more violent than whites Lacking statistics What is wrong with these grounds?? There’s no objective evidence that white people are being discriminated against Instead, evidence shows the opposite → white supremacy throughout the world Warrants (how they appealed to values): Stifling our freedom of speech If people don’t come out and support us, they’ll lost their white/american heritage; White America is disappearing But there is no white/american heritage since the Native Americans were here first U.S. History is not being preserved They are the victims Right of violence Dehumanization tactics - - Ex. calling them animals, stupid Conclusion: They want to have the govt enforce an Ethno-state Advocating for an ethnically white state Cultural Opportunity Changes in values Political Opportunity Presidential election Resource Mobilization Very organized - Summary of 10/17 How claims are made & structured The basic structure of claims 1. Grounds / Diagnostic Frame: statements about the nature of a social problem 3 components of grounds: 1. Typifying example 2. Naming of the issue 3. Statistics that show the scope of the problem 2. Warrants / Motivational Framework: justifying action; how you get people to do something; appeal to values (that something must be done) 3. Conclusion / Prognostic Frame: states what should be done and then recommends some type of change When making claims, claimsmakers must 1. Resource Mobilization Money, skills, tools 2. Cultural & Political Opportunities Cultural Opportunities: shifts / norms / meanings / values Political Opportunities: changes in the distribution of power Claimsmakers Activists or Experts Make claims using different sets of knowledge / “frames” Activists Experts Make claims more powerful bc they are able to bring scientific analysis / data Often viewed as legitimate authorities Critique of Joel Best Joel Best states that social problems are troubling conditions But what does “troubling” mean Joel Best is interested in the process by which people make claims We need to be able to evaluate claims; to understand the basis of these claims It’s not enough to just understand the process Activists & Experts