Framing in negotiation and conflict A literature review on dynamic approaches uncovering their theoretical background

Abstract

This thesis defines a literature review on the dynamic approaches to framing in negotiation and conflict research. The purpose of this paper is to uncover and delve into the theoretical background of the corpus of contributions. The review fills a gap in the literature, since it is the only one that outlines a systematic overview by involving a significant range of dimensions of analysis. After identifying the representative contributions, the dimensions of analysis figure out how the dynamic approaches have been applied to the concept framing and the set of dynamic features that shape their theoretical background. The results of the review are critically considered starting from the dynamic features identified in the contributions. The distinction between static and dynamic approaches is retrieved in order to explore the dynamic connotations of the approaches and clarify the role of social constructionism as a key theoretical foundation. The discussion section also points out that the rejection of the Cartesian view of inner-mental states and Wittgenstein’s concept of language games are the main historical underpinnings. This paper outlines an original review that elucidates and develops the theoretical background of dynamic approaches. The body of knowledge elaborated by this study can be the starting point for further researchers with a focus on a dynamic perspective and a useful tool for practitioners.