Development Communication-Definition-goal

Development Communication is communication with a social conscience. Development communication is associated with rural problems, urban problems and takes humans into account. 
It has two primary roles:
a transforming role, as it seeks social change in the direction of higher  utility of values of society. 
 seeks to create an atmosphere for change, as well as providing innovations through which society may change.

Definition
Development communication has been defined in several ways by economic
development experts, sociologists and communication experts. The terminology development communication originated in Asia.  Definitions differ from region to region depending on the definers view of development.

Nora Quebral (1975) defined development communication as the art
and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth and makes possible greater economic and social equality and the larger fulfilment of human potential.

Development Communication is communication with a social conscience.   It takes
humans into account.  Development communication is primarily associated with rural problems, but is also concerned with urban problems. It has two primary roles: a transforming role, as it seeks social change in the direction of higher quality of values of society. In playing its roles, development communication seeks to create an atmosphere for change, as well as providing innovations through which society may change.
  
Philosophy and goal of Development Communication
Three main ideas which define the philosophy of development communication and make it different from general communication are:

1.     Development communication is purposive  communication, it is value-laden; and it is pragmatic(dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practica).  
2.     Development  communication is goal-oriented. The ultimate goal of development communication is a higher quality of life for the people of a society by social and political change.

3.    The goal of development communication not consider only in economic terms, but also in terms of social, political, cultural, and moral values that make a person's life whole, and that enable a person to attain his or her full potential. 

Development communication has to deal with two types of audience:
i)  bureaucracy, media practitioners and professionals, and
ii) the people i.e. the audience who can be informed or uninformed; educated or semi-literate or literate.


Wilbur Schramm (1964) was the first to recognize that communication could play an important role in the national development of the third world counties. He believed that mass media could better the lives of people by supplementing the information resources and exposing people for learning opportunities. He conceptualized a relationship between development communication and economic growth,which has been the main guiding paradigm for development programmes. He suggested that as economic activity spreads, knowledge must be gathered more broadly.

source:  Global Media Journal – Indian Edition/ISSN 2249-5835
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION: A PURPOSIVE
COMMUNICATION WITH SOCIAL CONSCIENCE - AN INDIAN
PERSPECTIVE
Dr Rajesh Kumar

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The Emerging Participatory Paradigm-Alternative paradigm

This approach  adopted in the 1990s by the United Nations and other development organizations as key challenges to be addressed successfully. 

Common features of this perspective are the emphasis on people, the endogenous vision of development, and the attention to power and rights issues.   Participatory approaches require a shift in the way individuals are considered, from passive recipients to active agents of development efforts. 

In addition to poverty reduction, they include objectives in education, gender equality, and health issues. Most development priorities are out­lined within political frameworks based on the adherence to good governance and democratic principles (for example, freedom and human rights.

The major reasons for the adoption of this approach in development initiatives, maintaining that 

(1) services can be provided at a lower cost; 

(2) participation has intrinsic values for participants, alleviating feelings of alienation and powerlessness;

(3) participation is a catalyst for further development efforts; 

(4) participation leads to a sense of responsibility for the project; and 

(5) participation ensures the use of indigenous knowledge and expertise.

The participation is not an absolute concept, and that it can be applied in different degrees, is part of the problem. 

 A typology that includes seven different types of participation as interpreted and applied by various development organizations ,The full categorization, the least participatory, 

• passive participation, 
• participation in information giving, 
• participation by consultation, 
• participation for material incentives, 
• functional participation,
• interactive participation, and 
• self-mobilization.

 (1) passive participation, when stakeholders attend meetings to be informed;

 (2) participation by consultation, when stakeholders are consulted but the decision making rests in the hands of the experts; 

(3) functional participation, when stakeholders are allowed to have some input, although not necessarily from the beginning of the process and not in equal partnership; and (4) empowered par­ticipation, when relevant stakeholders take part throughout the whole cycle of the development initiative and have an equal influence on the decision-making process.

Information sharing and consultation are considered low-level forms of participation, while the other two are considered high-level forms. These types are consistent with others, such as the classification
In particular, participatory research methods allowed a growing role for local stakeholders and indigenous knowledge in the problem-analysis and problem-solving processes of development initiatives.

The model of reference is significantly different from the traditional one, since it is now characterized by dialog and by a horizontal flow, enabling the balanced sharing of perceptions and knowledge.
In this perspective, the  communication acquires a more interactive connotation aimed at facilitating participation and empowerment. Even when using mass media, messages can be expected to originate from people themselves rather than from "outside experts" .

The World Bank (1995) identified four types of participation: 

(1) information sharing, 

(2) consultation,

 (3) collaboration, and 

(4) empowerment. 

Amartya Sen, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Economics, introduced the concept of capability dep­rivation to illustrate how poverty is not simply an income issue, but also and espe­cially a social issue. He considers income poverty and capability poverty to be two closely related dimensions because income greatly affects the capabilities of an indi­vidual, and vice versa.

The depriva­tions deriving from feeling excluded from relevant decisions and from seeing limited available options can be successfully addressed through communication, since it is by communicating that individuals perceive and define their conditions and construct their reality in social networks.

This approach facilitates people's involvement in the problem-analysis process, and it stimulates the "reversal of learning" from the rural poor to the experts.  They both share a sincere concern for the empowerment of the poorest and the most dis­advantaged sectors of society, which often tend to be in rural areas or on the periph­ery of urban agglomerates.  it claims that participatory research should not be neutral but should always side with the poor and the marginalized 

Features of Participatory approach

The emphasis on participation in development also implies increased attention to communication, because there can be no participation without communication, at least without a certain type of communication. 

Finally, the participation mode also addresses poverty, or at least one of its key dimensions, in a direct way. Poverty is not simply the deprivation of basic material needs; it concerns other significant dimensions of people's life. 

Social exclusion is one of the elements contributing to the overall poverty dimension. Eliminating or significantly reducing social exclusion, through the dia­logic use of communication, is a step toward a world without poverty. 

By engaging stakeholders who often have been excluded from any form of deci­sion making in their lives and allowing them to engage in the decision-making process, development communication not only reduces poor people's "capability.

Disadvantages
In other words, the added empha­sis on participation helps to mainstream communication in many initiatives, and at the same time promotes a more dialogic and two-way conception of communica­tion.

 source: devComm sourcebook Paolo Mcfalopulos
http://www.ghwatch.org/sites/www.ghwatch.org/files/a.pdf

http://lalhmachhuana.tripod.com/mediaeffectstheory/emergence-of-alternative-paradigms-of-development-communication.html

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Dependency Theories

Depend­ency theory was originated from Latin America at the beginning of the 1970s. One of its founding fathers, A. G. Frank (1969).  He considered development and underdevelopment as two faces of the same coin, shaped by specific historical, economic, and political factors. Hence, neither the causes nor the solutions of underdevelopment should be sought exclu­sively, or even mostly, within the poorest countries. 

Dependency theory claims that the imbalances in the world's state of affairs were mainly owing to the international division of labor and to the continuation of past patterns of domination. The world was separated into two  core, composed of a few rich countries, and  composed of many poor countries.  Accord­ing to this perspective, core countries took advantage of their technological know-how, superior infrastructure, and economic power to strengthen their lead. The main role of the peripheral countries was restricted to that of supplying raw materials and cheap labor to the richer ones, making it impossible for them to ever catch up.

To address this problem, dependency advocates proposed a plan that works on two levels. Nationally,  and Internationally. Considering nationally,the  developing countries on the periphery were to become eco­nomically self-reliant and less dependent on foreign imports. Such a way that Internationally, they would form alliances among themselves to create a stronger political presence. The ultimate goal would be to change the overall international set of relationships by forming a bloc of many countries with similar aspirations.

Dependency theory had a significant impact in the economic and development policies of a number of Third World countries, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, resulting in the adoption of import-substitution policies by many of those countries (Escobar 1995). This strategy aimed to protect national industries from outside competition by subsidizing them and putting high tariffs on imported products. The main idea was to stimulate growth of domestic industrialization (McMichael 1996) and to reduce or sever dependent ties with richer countries. However, the overall results of import-substitution policies have been rather unsat­isfactory _(Jaffee 1998).

Its oversimplified division of the world into core and periphery levels is blamed for the dependency theory .It fail to explain the causes of under development and for its limited effectiveness in proposing successful alternative models of development.

 Dependency theorists failed to consider relevant internal causes contributing to the problem such as the role played by national elites. These elites often form strategic alliances with those of the developed world, and they play a significant role in shaping, often in negative ways, the development process of their countries (Servaes 1991)

 Dependency theories are also criticized for how little attention they pay to the differences in political-economic status among developing countries, resulting in big and potentially rich countries such as Brazil or India being put in the same category as much smaller and poorer ones.

This world system, based on capitalism, is divided into a core, dominated by a few rich countries; a periphery, inhabited by the many poorer countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and a semi-periphery, including major countries such as Egypt, Mexico, Brazil, India, and others, with higher levels of resources than the majority of developing countries. This intermediate layer, the semi-periphery, addresses the criticisms received by dependency theorists for the oversimplified division into two spheres of rich and poor countries.

The three levels (that is, core, periphery, and semi-periphery) are contained in a unified world system, the mechanisms of which are those of capitalism operating at national and international levels. 

The proponents of the dependency theory vigorously supported rethinking the communication agenda along the lines of a more balanced flow of communication at the international level. Yet, at the national level, they often neglected to consider the horizontal component of communication within countries and failed to give proper attention to the potential of privately owned media and community media. While arguing against the "free-flow" argument proposed by the United States and its allies, 

The "dependentistas" remained rooted in the classic media-centric concep­tion of communication, mostly from the state perspective. Ideally, the state is expected to represent the wider public's interest, but reality shows that this has seldom been the case. 

Dependency theories did not consider and support the wider role that "freer" communication systems, and not just media, at different levels could play in creating spaces and actively engaging broader sectors of society in development. Despite significant differences between modernization and dependency theories, their communication model was basically the same: a one-way communication flow, with the main difference between the two theories being who was controlling and sending the message and for what purpose.

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Basic Principles of Development Communication

Dialogic —Dialog is the heart of the new communication paradigm.  Development communication should foster dialog to facilitate mutual under­standing, to assess the situation, and to seek wider consensus.Professionally directed, dialog is an invalu­able research tool and is absolutely to build trust, optimize knowledge, minimize risks, and reconcile different positions. 

Inclusive—This methodological frame work might focus only on selected groups of stake­holders. Omitting a group on a basis that might not seem rel­evant can cause problems. Two-way communication should always pay special attention to groups that are marginalized or at a disadvantage in society. Gender issues are always a primary concern in this context, as well as issues related to the poor, or any other vulnerable group.

Heuristic— The heuristic and explorative scope of development communication, strengthened by its analytical and dialogic features, constitutes its main value-added in addressing and rectifying the past fail­ures in development.

Analytical—It conclude large amount of its work, such as the assessment of political risks and opportunities, the effectiveness of diffusion and dissemination activ­ities  and it we know how effectively people are empowered to voice their perceptions and opinions.

Participatory— Only genuine communication can facilitate effective participation,and there are  different types of participation. 

Levels of Participation and Communication

Participation Level	Basic Features Related to Communication
Information sharing	One-way communication—basically, people are included by informing them about what is being done.
Consultation	Primarily one-way communication with a stronger emphasis on feedback—stakeholders provide their input but do not have a significant say in the decision-making process.
Collaboration	Two-way communication supporting open interaction in decision making—input in decision making is balanced.
Empowerment	Transfer of control over decisions and resources—two‑ way communication ensures shared decision making.

Inter disciplinary—A development communication body of knowledge includes a number of principles borrowed from other disciplines such as ethnography, sociology, political economy, adult education, and marketing.

Strategic—The principle of strategy emphasizes the professional and timely application of communication techniques and methods to achieve intended objectives.  

Persuasive— In development communication, persuasion can be used to induce voluntary changes in individuals. Persuasion should be based on accurate infor^­mation and within a context of two-way communication. 

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Key Issues about (Development) Communication

Some of the myths and misconceptions about communication, especially when related to the field of development. These misconceptions can often be the cause of misunderstandings and lead to inconsistent and ineffective use of communication concepts and practices. The first two points on this list are about communication in general, while the others refer to development communication in particular.

1."Communications" and "communication" are not the same thing. 

The plural form refers mainly to activities and products, including information technolo­gies, media products, and services (the Internet, satellites, broadcasts, and so forth). The singular form, on the other hand, usually refers to the process of communication, emphasizing its dialogical and analytical functions rather than its informative nature and media products. This distinction is significant at the theoretical, methodological, and operational levels.

2. There is a sharp difference between everyday communication and professional communication.  

 A person who communicates well is not necessarily a person who can make effective and professional use of communication. Each A professional (development) communication specialist understands relevant theories and practices and is capable of design­ing effective strategies that draw from the full range of communication approaches and methods to achieve intended objectives.

3.There is a significant difference between development communication and other types of communication. 

Both theoretically and practically, there are many dif­ferent types of applications in the communication family. There are four main types of communication, they are  advocacy communication, corporate communication, internal communication, and development communication. Each has a different scope and requires specific knowledge and skills to be per^­formed effectively.

4.  The main scope and functions of development communication are not exclusively about communicating information and messages, but they also involve engaging stakeholders and assessing the situation.  

Currently, the scope of development communication has broadened to include an analytical aspect as well as a dialogical one—intended to open public spaces where perceptions, opinions, and knowledge of relevant stakeholders .

5.Development communication initiatives can never be successful unless proper communication research is conducted before deciding on the strategy.

A communication professional should  design a communication campaign or strat­egy with having all the relevant data to inform, to identify gaps  his or her decision.

6.To be effective in their work, development communication specialists need to have a specific and in-depth knowledge of the theory and practical applications of the discipline. 

In addition to being familiar with the relevant literature about the various communication theories, models, and applications, development com­munication specialists should also be educated in the basic principles and prac­tices of other interrelated disciplines, such as anthropology, marketing, sociology, ethnography, psychology, adult education, and social research.

In Additionally, a good professional should also have the right attitude toward people, being empathic and willing to listen and to facilitate dialog in order to elicit and incorporate stakeholders' perceptions and opinions.

Most of all, a professional development communication specialist needs to be consistently issue-focused, rather than institution-focused.

7.Development communication Objectives design. 

 Even the most well-designed communication strategy will fail if the overall objec­tives of the project are not properly determined, if they do not enjoy a broad consensus from stakeholders, or if the activities are not implemented in a satisfactory manner. In such cases, the basic foundations of development communication are neglected, and the results are usually disappointing, especially over the long term.

8.Development communication is not exclusively about behavior change.

The areas of intervention and the applications of development communication extend beyond the traditional notion of behavior change to include, among other things, probing socioeconomic and political factors, identifying priorities, assessing risks and opportunities, empowering people, strengthening institutions, and promoting social change within complex cultural and political environments.

9.Media and information technologies are not the backbone of development communication.

  Media and information technologies are part of development communication, and they are important and useful means to support development. Their impact is greatly affected by the communication work done in the research phase. Past experience indicates that unless such instruments are used in connection with other approaches and based on proper research, they seldom deliver the intended results.

10.Participatory approaches and participatory communication approaches are not the same thing  

Participatory approaches and participatory communication approaches are not the same thing  and should not be used interchangeably, but they can be used together, as their functions are often complementary, especially during the research phase. Even if there are some similarities between the two types of approaches, identify communication entry points, and map out the information and communication systems that can be used later to design and implement the communication strategy.   Instead, these are all key activities carried out in a participatory communication assessment.

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Development communication-Introduction

Development communication  referred to as "communication for development' "development support communication' and  "communication for social change. Development Communication can be simply define, when communication is used to promote social development. Systematically applying the processes, strategies. The principles of communication to bring out positive social changes called development communication .

During the period of world war II, the term “Development Communication” was first introduced.

The Dominant Paradigm: Modernization

This dominant paradigm rooted in the concept of  development as modernization.  It emerged after  World War II. The central idea of this dominant paradigm was to solve development problems by "modernizing" underdeveloped countries. This approach advised the society, how to be effective in following in the footsteps of richer, more developed countries. Development was equated with economic growth. 

Communication was associated with the dissemination of information and messages aimed at modernizing "backward" countries and their people. Mass media were at the center of communication initiatives that relied heavily on the traditional vertical or one-way model: Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver (SMCR).

Widely criticized paradigm of  modernization has been in part abandoned—and a new paradigm has yet to be fully embraced.'

The Opposing Paradigm: Dependency

In the 1960s strong opposition to the modernization paradigm led to the emergence of an alternative theoretical model based on the dependency theory. It is rooted in a political-economic perspective. 
This school of thought criticized some of the core assumptions of the modernization paradigm such as  neglecting social, historical, and economic factors.  They also accused the dominant paradigm of being very Western-centric, refusing or neglecting any alternative route to development. The dependency theorists emphasized the importance of the link between communication and culture. It was  demand  more balanced and equitable exchange of communication, information, and cultural programs among rich and poor countries.

Although the dependency theory had gained a significant impact in the 1970s. Yet in the 1980s it started to lose relevance

The Emerging Paradigm: Participation

 This participatory model is less oriented to the political-economic dimension and more rooted in the cultural realities of development focusing on people's participation began to emerge.. 

The development focus has shifted from economic growth and include other social dimensions needed to ensure meaningful results in the long run.  Participation is increasingly recognized as a necessary part of sustainable development strategies'  

It emphasized the  application of genuine two-way communication principles and practices.  Development communication has increasingly moved toward a horizontal, "two-way" model, which favors people's active and direct interaction through consultation and dialog over the traditional one-way information dissemination through mass media.

This approach insist the  need ofinvolvement of the affected people in the decision-making process.   The horizontal use of communication, which opens up dialog, assesses risks, identifies solutions, and seeks consensus for action, came to be seen as a key to the success and sustainability of development efforts.  This paradigm is changing the way communication is conceived and applied. It shifts the emphasis from information dissemination to situation analysis, from persuasion to participation. It is broadening its scope, maintaining the key functions of informing people and promoting change, yet emphasizing the importance of using communication to involve stakeholders in the development process.

Source paolo mefalopulos- developement communication source book

http://wecommunication.blogspot.in/2014/03/communication-for-development.html

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