Kitchen Table Activism

Background: Kitchen Table Activism (KTA) is a monthly project of the Rural Organizing Project. Often building on quarterly themes, short actions are described in each KTA. The theory is that basic steps and tasks can lead to powerful collective results as small groups of people gather to complete the same action throughout the state of Oregon.

ROP works to keep the basic tasks easily achievable so that groups with other projects or groups with limited immediate energy can still manage to complete the KTA each month.

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February 2005 Activity

Framing: Ourselves, Our Work, Our World

Why This Activity?

Communication across differences to neighbors, co-workers, and family members is a high priority to ROP. That desire motivated us to craft a democracy worksheet in the early nineties. The worksheet broke down the 4 basic principles of democracy, as defined by the neutral World Book Encyclopedia, into a format that allowed hot button issues of the day (queer rights, immigrant rights, welfare) to be framed from a common ground value that we share - democracy. The democracy grid has enabled us to take divisive issues and talk about them in a less heated context. As small town activists we needed to figure out reframing if we were to be effective in being political and remaining employed and housed, let alone popular, in our communities.

After the 2004 elections such a basic common sense process to communicating a message to others is all the rage. This is a very good sign. The 570 volunteers who used the survey as a prop to ask neighbors their opinions in 3500 conversations this summer and fall got a fast look at the power of reframing. On the back side of this KTA are 7 pie charts that share responses to the questions we asked. Using simple framing we found enormous common ground that contradicts the voting results of these same people just a month later - showing the power of framing in election messages. There is hope. But first we need to refine our collective skills in speaking to other community members in shared concepts that unite us.

What Is This Activity?

This month’s KTA asks your group to decide next steps in mastering the skill of framing. There are many ways to do this and ROP offers several options. Consider how a discussion group with Lakoff’s book Don’t Think of an Elephant can build your local group’s skills at framing. Be a part of a regional conversation as an opportunity to build statewide strategy with other small town progressives. Delve beyond the supposed red/blue divide using ROP’s own Listening to Voters Project results to explore how framing can help our neighbors affirm their democratic values.

Steps To Complete The Activity

  1. “Don’t Think of an Elephant” by George Lakoff is 100 pages that walks you through the basics of framing your message using your values. We encourage people to get in small groups that apply the techniques on issues of the moment - ending the war, stopping privatization of basic services like social security, keeping reproductive choices available. What is the value frame that drives our policy objectives? Consider whether or not your group is interested in having a discussion circle on framing using Lakoff’s book. If you are interested, contact ROP to order your books for $6 each (plus shipping) and to plan a date for ROP to come to your community.
  2. Regional Conversations: What do you want out of a framing discussion at a regional gathering this winter? One key theme will be how we frame our progressive agenda. Start talking with your leaders about who should attend, what is the most central locale and best date. Contact ROP to share your thoughts on what you’d like to see happen at a regional conversation.
  3. Listening to Voters’ Results for Reflection: Download the .pdf file summarizing our 3500 neighbor to neighbor conversations. Explore the pie charts in a Lakoff discussion group or amongst friends and fellow human dignity group members.
    • What can we learn from how our 3500 conversations with rural Oregonians allowed them to present their more open-minded sides?
    • Why is it that our neighbors apparently voted against their stated concerns and values?
    • What can we learn from this affirmation of progressive values in rural and small town Oregon?
    Practice discussing these issues from a progressive value based framework.
  4. Let the ROP know what you conclude!

Previous KTAs are now located in the KTA Archive.