Transcript Communicating for Development Reflections on the theory and

Communicating for Development
Reflections on the theory and practice
of articulating development and social change through
communication
By
Thomas Tufte, Professor
[email protected]
Roskilde University
Dept. of Communication, Business and Information Technologies
(CBIT)
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Presentation given to the Delegation from the Vietnamese
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), May 5 2010
Introduction
 Introducing
communication for
development and social change
 The
role of science in communicating
for development
 Examples
Communication for Development
 ’a
social process based on dialogue
using a broad range of tools and
methods. It is also about seeking
change a different levels including
listening, building trust, sharing
knowledge and skills, building
policies, debating and learning for
sustained and meaningful change. It
is not public relations or corporate
communication’ (WCCD, 2007: 211)
Communication for Social Change
‘CFSC is a process of public and private
dialogue through which people themselves
define who they are, what they need and
how to get what they need in order to
improve their own lives. It utilizes
dialogue that leads to collective problem
identification, decision making and
community-based implementation of
solutions to development issues’
(www.cfsc.org)

Diffusion model
Definition of communication: information transfer – vertical
Definition of development communication: information
dissemination via mass media
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Problem: lack of information
Solution: information transfer: knowledge » attitudes »
practice
Goal: outcome oriented: behavior change
Frameworks Types of interventions
 Modernization Social marketing
 Diffusion of innovations Entertainment-education
Participatory model
Definition of communication: information exchange/dialogue –
horizontal
Definition of development communication: grassroots participation
via group interaction
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Problem: structural inequalities/local knowledge ignored
Solution: information exchange/participation
Goal: process-oriented: empowerment, equity, community
Frameworks Types of interventions
 Social change/praxis (Freire) Empowerment education
 Social mobilization/activism Participatory Action Research (PAR)
 Rapid Participatory Appraisal (RPA)
 Community Involvement in Health (CIH)
Role of science, knowledge and
scientists
 Fundamental
ingredient(s) in
ComDev and CFSC
 Key
challenges:
– How to incorporate science, etc into
ComDev and CFSC initiatives
– Languages, genres, formats, channels
Examples
 Rural
Comunication: VERY expert
based…From the Archers and
onwards…
 Health Communication (From
nutrition and vacination to complex
HIV/AIDS communication). Antismoking campaigns: what made the
difference??
 Climate Change: SUNRISE.
Conclusion
Often: to much focus on efficiency, target
audiences, channels of communication
which all is based on a particular comm
theory: diffusion of innovations
 What often is lacking: spaces for dialogue,
ability to listen, challenges in creation of
empathy, and lack of participatory comm
strategies.
 Challenge: get scientists to become
catalysts of change rather than experts
practicing top-down communication with
unknown impact.
