Central to the discussion is a consideration of the importance of information in developing contexts, and the centrality of communication to social relations more generally. The title of this thesis, "Rethinking the interface- the limits and possibilities of communication for development", indicates a defimitive project in which failures of the past can and should be corrected.
Introduction
A brief summary of the contributions shows how succinctly Murdock (1990) has presented the state of affairs. This too is a feature of many of the texts on 'communication for development': laying out the implications of adopting particular approaches (Jacobsen and Servaes 1999).
The Research
44% of white respondents cited the mass media (newspapers, television, and radio) as their main source of information about political violence in the PMB. 15% of Indian respondents cited contacts as the main source of information about political violence in PMB.
Theoretical Approaches
The results of this study also reinforced the notion that people are able to distinguish between the way television presents various aspects of the 'real' world and how they think the world really is. Real-world conditions and events provide an independent impetus to the perceived meaning of questions.
Discussion
But this really only tells us about the potential for mass media to play a greater role in Indian society. In fact, it may be that the Indian community is closer to violence, especially in the PMB situation, where many African people will shop in a part of town with shops owned and patronized by members of the Indian community.
Conclusion
The transition to democracy in South Africa has understandably generated a lot of debate about the cultural contours of the new society and foregrounded the role of cultural resource providers (especially the media) in both the maintenance of apartheid and the construction of what has become . known as the 'Rainbow Nation'. The most virulent of the media colonists are the Americans, the masters of the form.
Disney, the Entertainment Provider
Since 1997, a wholly-owned subsidiary, Disney Enterprises Southern Africa, has been responsible for the marketing of Disney merchandise, not only in South Africa, but the rest of the continent. Southern Africa is one of the exciting new markets in the world. We are confident that Disney Enterprises Southern Africa will help open new avenues for Disney involvement in the region.
Studying the Disney Audience in South Africa
Thus, we found that although Disney's presence in South Africa may be much smaller than in many other countries, there are enough Disney products for the brand to be recognized. While an attempt was made to gather more qualitative data, in the form of nine in-depth interviews, none of these interviews shed significant light on the meaning of Disney.
Different Disney Experiences
In the other adjective categories where there is not overwhelming agreement, such as bravery, imagination, magic, and optimism, Indian and white students tend to score Disney high on promoting these attributes, while African students (and to a lesser extent, students of color ) are 10-15% more conservative in their willingness to identify Disney as promoting them. Patriarchy is also considered to be promoted by just over half of the Indian and white students, whereas over 30% of all students see this as a descriptive description not relevant to Disney.
The Divided Responses
The theme of 'difference' was also raised by a few of the black students, who were generally less confident that Disney represented American culture, as mentioned above. No, [Disney is not uniquely American] as it is universal in morals, values, etc.; it is part of every culture to be enjoyed by all.
Conclusions: Towards a Common Culture?
Oosthuizen's comment that "not only is there a substantial convergence of values between black and white youth ignores the very real questions posed by the turbulent and unpredictable process of de-racialization of society. This means a more general identification with animated characters as Disney characters, and a revised sense of the shapes of.
Concluding remarks
We have seen above that such thinking requires systematic monitoring of the ways in which different strata (whatever def) interact with the mass media. In the previous chapter we have identified how the sociological construction of the 'group' manifests itself as a reality in its relation to the mass media.
Communication and Development
A number of scholars working outside the United States began to use the dependency model to mount a critique of the dominant paradigm. Ithiel Pool, for example, supported a notion of development communication that is very close to the original formulations of the dominant paradigm and that remain popular today, arguing that.
Concluding comments
At the same time, the historical legacy of the development of community video making in South Africa goes some way to explaining why some practices are not clearly targeted for theoretical and practical resolution. However, in a more recent study, of a series of independently produced and directed films, some of the problems touched on above are raised once again (see below).
Interrogating some South African issues
Beginning with an outline of the context in which media/communication is currently being thought of in relation to the interface, and raising some questions contributed by developmental theory itself, this section goes on to define some of the characteristics of what we loosely call the periphery. of South African companies and attempts to explore some dimensions of media/communication in this sector.
How did we get here?
The emergence of the concept of community media, or group media, is carefully theorized by Tomaselli and Louw when they argue. Communication became a matter of democratic politics, of confronting ideology and ultimately of redistributing power.
What have we got?
Eric Louw's piece (1995) is the clearest statement yet of the role communication can play in development interfaces. A further difficulty with Louws' view is that there seem to be only two discourses: that of the external agency and the 'community'.
What's it like out there?
That the institutional legacy of colonialism (prefectural rule) continues to exist even though a functional system of administration has existed for a long time. The authors identify the apparent paradox of passive acceptance of the chief as the legitimate voice of the community, with complacency towards the provision of services by state/provincial line departments. In other words, why does the institution of tribal authorities (which have modest power) continue to be so influential. The implications of a weak civil society are profound, especially in the political arena, because it predisposes 'outsiders' to an engagement with existing organizational structures, which may not reflect the epistemic communities of a locality.
The Rural Television Network (RTV)
This attempt at 'cultural entrepreneurship' has now failed, but some of the extra arms of the project, not all of which died with it, are interesting. Third, the Roots Television initiative, which consisted of videotaping important events so that people could see themselves on screens in stores, approaches some of the video experiments elsewhere in the world, although these were means of product promotion.
Voices from the Periphery
This implies that knowledge/information is part of the structuring of social relations, not a consequence of them: "people with information occupy a certain position in. Two further comments illustrate this well: "we do not listen to the radio regularly, they most of the time we are outside because of the chores so we are not sure what and when to listen to.
Development Support Communication
Development Support Communication: anything goes or malevolent developmentalism?
Furthermore, if we look at Alan Andreasen's influential Marketing Social Change (1995), we find that the concept of participation is not part of the theoretical foundations of the approach, and that the real aim and challenge of social marketing is, he states before, "Francis Nyamnjoh's comments on DSC in his review of the Culture, Communication, Development Symposium are still apt.
Emphasizing information
The central goal of GCIS will be to ensure greater coordination between communication and information structures within government and the successful dissemination of information about national developments (especially to the poor and marginalized majority). These reports pave the way for a much more meaningful debate about the role of information in development and nation building.
Institutional issues
GCIS will reaffirm the importance of the communication function in departments, which has been neglected for a long time. Needs assessments, it is now widely recognized, should involve those who will be served or program users (directly or indirectly) in the initial stages of defining, targeting and conducting the research, because they will be the group most intimately affected by findings (Kaniki 2001). The necessary data collection and research that is part of needs assessment is now seen as part of the DSC endeavor and is in line with Sonderling's view of DSC as an applied discipline.
Conclusions
One of the most important tasks of development support communication is the design and implementation of communication campaigns. These textbook definitions of what successful information campaigns 'need' tend to obscure some of the problems associated with them.
The Task Directive
Evaluating the role-play
Evaluating the institutional support
Evaluating the pamphlets
Evaluating the research component
Evaluating the administration
Externalities
Another potential source of difficulty, the prevailing gender relations in rural areas, has not been found to be an obstacle to successful delivery of the message. Other issues affecting workshops include the long distances to be traveled (affecting start times), the inappropriateness of certain venues (forcing the presentation to try to adapt to conditions not conducive to learning) and occasional audience interference that are not aware of the purpose of the event.
Some issues
Overall, however, the clarity of the message and the opportunity to ask questions (of the LRO and crew, who became very knowledgeable) left the audience in no doubt about their rights and responsibilities as residents. The structural and social characteristics of the occupying group make them unable to act once they have information.
Evaluation Framework
At the end of the project, this author was invited to evaluate/review the activities promised by the initiative. What follows is an abridged version of the [misreport given to The Television Trust for the Environment (TVE), one of the partners in the project. A set of five material 'packs' used for educational purposes together with a selection of the television programmes;.
Evaluation methodology
Some important respondents were not interviewed: no one at Channel Africa could comment in the wake of the departure of the contact there (and workshop participant); and the.
Project related features
The materials for use in support of the film (of which there are 5 'packs') are an interesting mix of factual information and guiding questions. In addition, there is no organizing motif that holds the materials together, enabling a systematic use of films and materials as a package.
Information received
Parts of the series were often aired, as in human rights-oriented programs. Linking the series (with all major decisions already taken) to human rights issues is a funder-led approach and a sector-wide problem.
Issues arising
A failure on the part of multipliers (and other organizations present at the workshop in particular) to maintain their momentum as potential partners in the project;. A large number of multiplier organizations have used the series (or parts of the series) in their work in the region.
Lessons learned
If there are concerns about the way parts of the range are being used, and this should be evident from the monitoring, as suggested above, then a more systematic approach to. This emphasis on broadcasting made it difficult to determine the range of the series, especially in the field of radio.
Information superhighways and cui de sacs
Moreover, while it is easy to slip into the common language or discourse. One such infostructure is the Multi-Purpose Community Center (MPCC), alluded to in the discussion of the GCIS COMTASK report.
Service provider interviews
To determine the information needs of the Mbazwana community in terms of government and non-government services in the area;. However, service providers located within the MPCC have raised a number of issues with the design of the MPCC and the extent to which it impedes service.
Focus group discussions
The Traditional Authority (Amakhosi) was mentioned several times as the main source of reliable information. The group indicated that they had raised the issue with the local council and parish councilors but had not seen these issues resolved.
RSS and GelS key informant interviews
In relation to the MPCC, he saw the role of the GCIS in the MPCC as that of monitoring the delivery of services at the centre. He noted that some teachers requested information (such as cabinet posters) for instructional purposes. He suggested the possibility of creating one.
Information needs within the community
This shows a lack of understanding of the role of information on the part of many officials. Although there was not much talk about the existing role of the Service Providers Forum in
Of telecentres and networks
The decline of the alternative, community-based media and the targeting of the old liberal press is not. This is still broadly a sector within the communications field and, as the amalgamation of the two regulatory bodies (SATRA and IBA) attests, it is seen as such.
The institutional environment
In a more general commentary on the broad debate surrounding ICTs and their role in development, Neil Butcher (2001) suggests that the mobilization of new information and communications technologies in the South African context is seen by some as a panacea to our social problems. problems, especially in the areas of education and poverty. In a similar vein, it is worth noting that the authoritative Information and Communication Technologies in the Commonwealth Report was prepared by the Commonwealth.
