More on "framing", and Pride

Anyone who thinks that framing doesn't matter probably isn't reading this LJ anyway, but I really like this piece from fivethirtyeight: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/how-to-get-63-of-americans-to-support.html

It looks at the significant difference you can generate in the apparent support Americans give to the notion of gay marriage by simply reframing the question. Take the question "Should the government allow..." and put it up against the question "Should the government be permitted to prohibit..." and Americans will, in general, react more negatively to the second framing. Turns out this holds true even when the second part of the sentence deals with a controversial issue such as gay marriage.

Like I said, not a huge surprise, but really something to keep in mind when reading statements about what people do and do not believe.

One other interesting note from that blog post - it indicates that people who are not necessarily sympathetic to gay marriage as a civil rights issue may be sympathetic to it as a matter of personal privacy. We who favor equal marriage should keep both points in mind.

Happy Pride, everyone!

More on "framing", and Pride

Anyone who thinks that framing doesn't matter probably isn't reading this LJ anyway, but I really like this piece from fivethirtyeight: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/how-to-get-63-of-americans-to-support.html

It looks at the significant difference you can generate in the apparent support Americans give to the notion of gay marriage by simply reframing the question. Take the question "Should the government allow..." and put it up against the question "Should the government be permitted to prohibit..." and Americans will, in general, react more negatively to the second framing. Turns out this holds true even when the second part of the sentence deals with a controversial issue such as gay marriage.

Like I said, not a huge surprise, but really something to keep in mind when reading statements about what people do and do not believe.

One other interesting note from that blog post - it indicates that people who are not necessarily sympathetic to gay marriage as a civil rights issue may be sympathetic to it as a matter of personal privacy. We who favor equal marriage should keep both points in mind.

Happy Pride, everyone!

Kiva comes to America

Today seems to be a day for revisiting past themes - first a nod to reframing and now a revisit on charitable work. Back when I was looking at places to make donations, Kiva was mentioned in passing. It's a site that is famous for arranging micro-loans ($25 and up) to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Well now, apparently prodded by California First Lady Maria Shriver, Kiva has started a program to make their loans available to low income entrepreneurs in the US. TechCrunch has a good summary: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/10/kiva-brings-microlending-home-to-us-entrepreneurs-in-need/

Obviously $25 doesn't get you as far in America as it does in a much lower income-based economy, but the principle seems basically sound: get financing to people who can't qualify through the other available means, at low enough cost that it makes business sense.

Kiva comes to America

Today seems to be a day for revisiting past themes - first a nod to reframing and now a revisit on charitable work. Back when I was looking at places to make donations, Kiva was mentioned in passing. It's a site that is famous for arranging micro-loans ($25 and up) to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Well now, apparently prodded by California First Lady Maria Shriver, Kiva has started a program to make their loans available to low income entrepreneurs in the US. TechCrunch has a good summary: http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/10/kiva-brings-microlending-home-to-us-entrepreneurs-in-need/

Obviously $25 doesn't get you as far in America as it does in a much lower income-based economy, but the principle seems basically sound: get financing to people who can't qualify through the other available means, at low enough cost that it makes business sense.