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Development Communication (sometimes called International Communication) also refers to an intellectual field that deals with issues of Mass Communication at a global level. This includes the history of the Telegraph , Submarine Communication Cables , Shortwave or International Broadcasting , Satellite television, and global flows of Mass Media . Today it includes issues of the Internet in a global perspective and the use of new technologies such as Mobile Phones in different parts of the world. HISTORY OF FIELD One of the earliest advocates of development communication is Daniel Lerner in the classic work The Passing of Traditional Societies (1958). He coined the expression the "revolution of rising expectations." He believed that mass media could promote empathy with the modern world and facilitate change from a traditional society to a modern consumer democracy. The assumptions behind this model have been criticized and it has been shown that his work was actually based on audience reseach for the Voice Of America broadcasts during the Cold War . Another important influence is . The field shifted with the work of Everett Rogers on The Diffusion of Innovations (1962). Rogers looked more closely at specific development projects and the adoption of new technology and ideas among target populations. He called this the Diffusion Of Innovations . Modern projects tend to continue this emphasis on specific goals in fields such as Agricultural Extension and Health Education . Rogers later criticized his own work in a famous article published in 1976, but much work continues this tradition. One alternative approach to development communication is the work of Paulo Freire . In his most famous book Pedagogy Of The Oppressed he stresses dialogue with communities about their actual needs rather than one-way communication by educators. In the 1970s researchers and activists in the Third World struggled with the relevance of development communication. They often criticized its basic assumptions. Among these is Nora C. Quebral , who is recognized for having initiated the proposal to put up what would become the UPLB College Of Development Communication . EXAMPLES OF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION One of the first examples of development communication was Farm Radio Forums in Canada . From 1941 to 1965 farmers met in groups each week to listen to special radio programs. There were also printed materials and prepared questions to encourage group discussion. At first this was a response to the Great Depression and the need for increased food production in World War II . But the Forums also dealt with social and economic issues. This model of Adult Education or Distance Education was later adoped in India and Ghana . Instructional Television was used in El Salvador during the 1970s to improve primary education. One of the problems was a lack of trained teachers. Teaching materials were also improved to make them more relevant. More children attended school and graduation rates increased. In this sense the project was a success. However, there were few jobs available in El Salvador for better-educated young people. In the 1970s in Korea the Planed Parenthood Federation had success in lowering birth rates and improving life in villages such as Oryu Li. It mainly used Interpersonal Communication in women's clubs. A project of Social Marketing in Bolivia in the 1980s tried to get women in the Cochabamba Valley to use Soybean recipes in their cooking. This was an attempt to deal with chronic malnurishment among children. The project used cooking demonstrations, posters and broadcasts on local comercial radio stations. Some people did try soybeans but the outcome of the project is unclear. CRITICISMS The idea of development communication has been criticized, especially by Latin American researchers such as Luis Ramiro Beltan and Alfonso Gumucio Dagron . It tends to locate the problem in the underdeveloped nation rather than its unequal relations with powerful economies. There is also an assumption that Western models of industrial capitalism are appropriate for all parts of the world. Many projects for development communication fail to address the real underlying problems in poor countries such as lack of access to land, agricultural credits and fair market prices for products. Such problems cannot be solved by education or communication alone but require fundamental social change. SEE ALSO
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