Frame analysis of reality and the problem of identity

The notions of ‘frame’ and ‘identity’ are closely interconnected in the process of cognizing of the natural and social world by an individual. The use of frame analysis is relevant in the study of various problems of social reality, including the problem of identity. The frame serves as a means of combining individual and group consciousness, where universal schemes with a higher degree of abstraction serve as the interpretive core and the interpretation process is carried out with consideration of individual experience of each specific subject. Identity can be considered one of the mechanisms of a person’s self-identification in the world by referring to various phenomena of the environment. During this process, a positive or negative attitude to the phenomena is developed. The frame and the identity resemble each other structurally and functionally because they act as two different, but closely interrelated aspects of the subjective constructing of reality by filling it with personal and social values and meanings in order to turn it into a familiar and predictable environment. The frame is a means of interpreting reality that singles out and then sequentially binds certain situations. With the help of frames, subjects can combine these events-situations into individualized schemes which reflect their unique life trajectories, form an integral personal perception of the world around them, and ultimately their identity.