Frame Propagation via SNS in the Introduction Process of “Sapporo City's Partnership Oath System”

Abstract

Based on the policy decision process of “Sapporo City's Partnership Oath System” diffused from Shibuya City's “Same-Sex Partnership Ordinance”, this article analyzed how social movements using SNS can affect the diffusion of new policies of local governments capturing the phenomenon termed “frame propagation”. The system of Sapporo City was not created by the mayor, but as a result of the proposal from the social movement.

The social movement affected the judgment of mayor, administrators and city council members through the process of resource mobilization by the organization and so-called “frame propagation” composed of a combination of “frame amplification” and “frame bridging” utilizing SNS. A key person in the movement in Setagaya City was a city council member who was strongly conscious of the diffusion. And the key person in Sapporo City was a LGBT party who learned from the cases in Shibuya City and Setagaya City, approached the administration by revealing the existence of the party. Both of them were conscious of the influence of SNS. In the background that the residents could become promoters of the diffusion of the policy, by using SNS and its creating network, they got outgoing and receiving ability to create empathy of many people. People became possible to create social cognition by posting and to show the appearance of a large number of proponents to the administration etc.