Understanding the framing of issues in multi-actor arenas

169 Pages·2014·2.11 MB·English

by  Meriläinen, Niina

J Y V Ä S K Y L Ä S T U D I E S I N H U M A N I T I E S
238
Niina Meriläinen
Understanding the Framing of
Issues in Multi-Actor Arenas
Power Relations in the
Human Rights Debate
JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN hUmaNITIES 238
Niina meriläinen
Understanding the Framing of
Issues in multi-actor arenas
Power Relations in the human Rights Debate
Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston humanistisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella
julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston historica-rakennuksen salissa h320
joulukuun 13. päivänä 2014 kello 12.
academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of
the Faculty of humanities of the University of Jyväskylä,
in building historica, hall h320, on December 13, 2014 at 12 o’clock noon.
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2014
Understanding the Framing of
Issues in multi-actor arenas
Power Relations in the human Rights Debate
JYVÄSKYLÄ STUDIES IN hUmaNITIES 238
Niina meriläinen
Understanding the Framing of
Issues in multi-actor arenas
Power Relations in the human Rights Debate
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2014
Editors
marita Vos
Department of Communication, University of Jyväskylä
Pekka Olsbo, Ville Korkiakangas
Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä Studies in humanities
Editorial Board
Editor in Chief heikki hanka, Department of art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä
Petri Karonen, Department of history and Ethnology, University of Jyväskylä
Paula Kalaja, Department of Languages, University of Jyväskylä
Petri Toiviainen, Department of music, University of Jyväskylä
Tarja Nikula, Centre for applied Language Studies, University of Jyväskylä
Raimo Salokangas, Department of Communication, University of Jyväskylä
Cover photo by Niina meriläinen.
URN:ISBN:978-951-39-5957-9
ISBN 978-951-39-5957-9 (PDF)
ISSN 1459-4331
ISBN 978-951-39-5956-2 (nid.)
ISSN 1459-4323
Copyright © 2014, by University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä University Printing house, Jyväskylä 2014
ABSTRACT
Meriläinen, Niina
Understanding the framing of issues in multi-actor arenas
- power relations in the human rights debate
Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2014, 98 p.
(Jyväskylä Studies in Humanities
ISSN 1459-4323; 238)
ISBN 978-951-39-5956-2 (nid.)
ISBN 978-951-39-5957-9 (PDF)

This PhD thesis focuses on strategic use of framing in the multi-actor debate on
human rights to create issue salience. The research results add to the
understanding of the strategic choices made by actors in agenda setting and
framing related to power relations in issue arenas. The results come together in
a conceptual model of the framing processes involved.
The results of this PhD thesis show how actors debate and make decisions
concerning their communication. Actors can belong to multiple networks and
discuss in various issue arenas, and additionally not all actors interact in the
same issue arenas. Competition may arise concerning causal relations as well as
on how and in what context issues are debated and by whom, which
consequently creates power relations, making some actors gatekeepers and
some less central in the interaction.
Human rights issues are seen as important and universal. However, this is
not the reality in the issue arenas influenced by selectiveness and power
relations. What this research tells us is that, by using strategic framing in the
communication, central actors can selectively push human rights issues and
frames to the debate and create different causal relations between issues and
actors.
By illustrating how framing is used as a tool in enhancing salience and
creating a context of causal relations, this PhD thesis adds to the transparency
of the human rights debate and, in particular, casts light on the processes of
issue selection and framing. By opening up the human rights debate, the
selective nature of issue debates is explained. With more transparency, all
actors will be better equipped to participate in the debate, thereby benefiting
the problem solving of human rights issues.

Keywords: human rights, issue arenas, power relations, framing.
Author’s address Niina Meriläinen
Department of Communication
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
[email protected]

Supervisors Prof. Dr. Marita Vos
Department of Communication
University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Reviewers Dr. Miia Jaatinen, Docent
Aalto University, Finland

Prof. Timothy W. Coombs
University of Central Florida, United States

Prof. Dr. Sherry D. Holladay
University of Central Florida, United States

Opponent Dr. Miia Jaatinen, Docent
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This PhD thesis is a result of lifelong interest in politics, history and human
rights. This research started from personal curiosity and developed into a pro-
fession. I owe a debt of gratitude to many people.
First of all I would like to give my sincere thank you to my PhD thesis
supervisor Professor Marita Vos. Her encouragement and guidance throughout
my studies has been important to me. She expected me to work hard and to get
results; a rule that I will continue to follow long after my PhD studies have end-
ed.
I would like to express my warmest thank you to the reviewers of this
PhD thesis, Dr. Miia Jaatinen, Prof. Timothy W. Coombs and Prof. Dr. Sherry D.
Holladay. Your encouragement meant the world to me and your constructive
comments and useful suggestions made this PhD thesis better in quality. I
would also like to thank Lecturer Roger Noël Smith for the language checking
of my thesis manuscripts, and thank you too for the editing comments and hu-
mour. Thank you also to Michael Freeman for language checking the manu-
scripts of original articles included in the thesis. I would like to thank all the
PhD students, colleagues and personnel at the Department of Communication
for your support and comments throughout my studies. Additionally, I would
like to thank all the personnel at the Faculty of Humanities for all your support.
Thank you Boyang and Mari for sharing an office with me during the last year
of my PhD studies, one day we will all laugh about all of this. I would also like
to thank Päivi Fadjukoff and the rest of personnel at Agora Center for your
support and encouragement during the last year of my PhD studies. In addition
I would like thank all the personnel at the University library and Cafe Libri for
your help, coffee and confectionery.
I would like to thank the personnel at Leibniz Universität Hannover for
supporting my two research exchanges. Additionally, I would like to thank
Leibnizhaus and its wonderful staff for housing me and providing me with new
experiences during my stays in Germany.
A special thank you goes to Maija-Liisa and Kristiina. Thank you with the
methods. We went through the highs and lows of life and PhD studies together.
Thank you for giving me the support and a shoulder to cry on during the dark-
est hours of PhD research, and for celebrating the little victories during the
good times.
To my friends near and far away, you are a source of everlasting hope.
Thank you for your love and support, messages, coffee breaks, trips, walks and
evenings spent together.
Most importantly I would like to thank my family. Without you none of
this would have ever been possible. Thank you to my grandparents. To my par-
ents, thank you for being my first and most important teachers. Mum, thank
you for being my best friend and always picking up the phone. Dad, thank you
for teaching me to always be critical, telling me to read as much as I can and to
always stand against oppression. Päivi, thank you for being the best sister I
could ever have and always supporting me. Thank you also to Tero, Peppi and
Pinja. Thank you Antti for your love, support and the time spent together, you
are the loveliest serenity in all of the daily chaos.
Thank you Minna Canth. Thanks to nature, Saimaa and Jyväsjärvi for
providing me a place to breathe.
This study was carried out at the University of Jyväskylä, Department of
Communication during the years 2010-2014, and at Leibniz Universität Hanno-
ver during research visits in 2012 and 2013-2014. This research was funded by
grants from the University of Jyväskylä, the Faculty of Humanities and De-
partment of Communication, the University of Jyväskylä Rector’s Office, C.V
Åkerlund Foundation, DAAD - The German Academic Exchange Service and
The Emil Aaltonen Foundation. Thank you to all the funders, as well as Profes-
sor Jutta Joachim of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and Head of Department
Pertti Hurme for your support while applying for the funding.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who continue to debate, especially those
with less-central power positions.

Jyväskylä, November 2014
Niina Meriläinen
FIGURES
FIGURE 1 Stages of issue debate ...................................................................... 14
FIGURE 2 Results from Study II ....................................................................... 63
FIGURE 3 Issue arenas and networks .............................................................. 68
FIGURE 4 The Model of strategic issue arena debate ................................... 73

TABLES
TABLE 1 Brief overview of the four studies ................................................. 18
TABLE 2 Conceptual framework .................................................................... 21
TABLE 3 Theoretical approaches .................................................................... 23
TABLE 4 Overview of Studies ........................................................................ 43
TABLE 5 Research questions ........................................................................... 46
TABLE 6 Description of methodology ........................................................... 48
TABLE 7 Result focus of Study I ..................................................................... 61
TABLE 8 Result focus of study II .................................................................... 63
TABLE 9 Result focus of Study III .................................................................. 64
TABLE 10 Result focus of study IV .................................................................. 65