Dev com history

Development
Communication
Historical Perspective

What is Development?
Gross National Product
Growth
Infrastructure
IdeologyTechnology
Change
ProgressReality

What is Communication?
Reality
Product
Facts, Opinions,
Emotions, Ideas…
Ideology
Technology Process
Interaction
Exchange

What is Development Communication?
Development communication is a branch
of communication theory or practice that is
concerned with applying insights from
communication theory to address
problems of development and
modernization. The aim of development
communication is to find strategies for
mobilizing people and consequently
resources, for developmental goals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/

Development communications are
organized efforts to use communications
processes and media to bring social and
economic improvements, generally in
developing countries.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/D/htmlD/devel
opmentc/developmentc.htm

Development communications is the integration of
strategic communication in development projects…
It strives for behavior change not just information
dissemination, education, or awareness-raising.
While the latter are necessary ingredients of
communication, they are not sufficient for getting
people to change long-established practices or
behaviors.
http://www.worldbank.org

Knowledge and information are essential for
people to respond successfully to the
opportunities and challenges of social, economic
and technological changes, including those that
help to improve agricultural productivity, food
security and rural livelihoods…Communication
for development encompasses many different
media and approaches ….
http://www.fao.org

Historically……………..
Origins in post-war aid programmes to
countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa
Help the struggle against poverty,
illiteracy, poor health, lack of economic,
political and social infrastructure in the
poor/third world countries
Expectation to equate development as
has been in the Western societies

1950s: Dominant Paradigm
Industry as prime mover
Modern society needs specialists
Education for participation in governance
Persuasion with ‘mass media’ & Diffusion of
innovation
Tickle down of profits from Centre to
Periphery

1960s
Economic Theories: Growth
Psychological Theories: Modernization
Political Theories: Underdevelopment to
Developing
Communication Theories: Transformation
Sociologists/Anthropologists/Communication

1970s
Third world / Non-Align Movement
Criticism of DOMINANT PARADIGM for:
Central economic planning, Low priority to
agriculture, External factors for development
Profit not mover for Behavioural changes
GNP not the measure of Development
Quality of life..?!!
Poverty equated to underdevelopment

New paradigm of development
Reaction to dominant paradigm
Emphasis “participation in development”
self-development (individual involvement)
self-reliance (local resources)
Communication effects gap (gap in socio-
economic & information/knowledge Haves’
and Have-nots’)

New paradigm of development
COM.n
MODEL
Participatory
communication
Diffusion of social and
technological
innovations
Access at local level
Local context/history
of communication
CONSTRAINTS
Paradox of central vs.
decentralization
Conventional
economic policies
Reach of information
Local dynamics and
elite control

PHILOSOPHY
Focus needs of
people of
developing
nations
From per capita
income to
physical quality
of life
CAUSES for
UNDERDEVELOPMENT
Poorest of poor can not
participate in dev.
Organization of poor
Lack of appropriate macro
framework
Communication gap and
information poverty
Basic Needs model: Non-Western model

Basic Needs model: Non-Western model
COM.n
MODEL
Decentralization and
integrated rural dev.
Two way top-down
and bottom-up
Mass media as well
as interpersonal
Community TV/radio/
papers etc.
CONSTRAINTS
Needs financing from
local rich not foreign
Creates global
imperialism dynamics
at local level
Difficulties of macro
plans and micro
dynamics

TODAY
Varied Approaches
to Development Communication
Diffusion of innovation theory
Advocacy theories
Participatory communication theories
Social marketing theory
Entertainment Education

Role of Communication in Development
COMMUNICATION IS……..
Infrastructure in the process of development,
precondition for economic growth
Critical and integral factor in the process of
social change/modernization
Residual factor in process of social change
and can be studied on its own

Further Reading
Lerner, D. The Passing of Traditional Society:
Modernizing the Middle East New York: Free
Press, 1958.
Schramm, W. Mass Media and National
Development: The Role of Information in the
Developing Countries Stanford, California:
Stanford University Press, 1964.
Rogers, Everett. "Inquiry in Development
Communication" in Asante, M. and Gudykunst,
W. (eds.) Handbook of International and
Intercultural Communication Newbury Park,
California: Sage, 1989.
Melkote, Srinivas Communication for
Development in the Third World: Theory and
Practice New Delhi: Sage, 1991.

References
Narula, Uma Development Communication Theory
and Practice, New Delhi: HarAnand Publications,
1994. (Rs. 195)
Singh, Kartar Rural Development Principles,
Policies and Management, New Delhi: Sage, 1999.
(Rs. 450)
Mody, Bela Designing Messages with Audience
Participation, New Delhi: Sage, 1991. (Rs. 175)
Nair and White (eds.) Perspectives on
Development Communication, New Delhi: Sage,
1993. (Rs. 250)
Joshi, Uma Understaning Development
Communication, New Delhi: Dominant Publishers,
2001. (Rs. 395)

Few Net Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_
communication
http://www.comminit.com
http://www.mamud.com/devcomm.htm
Development Communication projects:
http://www.ou.edu/idc/Res_DevComm.htm
http://gcra.uaeu.ac.ae
 others………..

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