(DSC) Development Support Communication

The term Development is heavily loaded with different conceptions and a richness of uses and functions shaped by their various theoretical foundations. The term development for communication can be defined as “It is a process through which a society is expected to achieve certain socio-economic, political, cultural and other goals”.

Todar and Smith identified three objectives of development as follows:

•To increase the availability and widen the distribution of basic life sustaining goods such as food, shelter, health and protection. 

•To raise levels of living in addition to higher incomes, the provision of more jobs, better education, and greater attention to cultural and human values, all of which will serve not only enhance material well-being but also to generate greater individual and national self-esteem. 

•To expand the range of economic and social choices available to individuals and nations by freeing them from servitude and dependence, not only in relation to other people and nation-states but also to the forces of ignorance and human misery. 

Emergence and Importance of DSC

Development is a concept which is as old as the human history itself. In 18th century industrial revolution in Europe – World War I and II gave new dimensions to this concept. Focus on increase in per-capita income, agriculture and Industrial productions, there emerge a new concept of “development as a total change” as positive change in life conditions, traditional, social culture setup, attitudes and behaviors.

Under contemplation of Development Communication is an omnipresent human activity carries information about ideas, things, places, persons and policies. Through which a human being understands other and in return is understood by others^”.

By Understands events; gets informed and takes well considered decisions that Provides new venues to accept or reject what is good and what is not. But its relevancy with mass communication, the word communication belongs to the Latin and Greek Words ^“Communis^” and ^“Communicane^” – both stands for “to make something common between two or many people”.

Moreover Carl Hovland defines, “Communication is the process by which an individual (the communicator) transmits stimuli (usually verbal symbols) to modify the behavior of other individuals (communicates)”.

After the destruction brought about by the Second World War, there a question was raised for the development in the Western Countries. Poverty and economic crisis in the third world countries, Lack of science, technology, technical sufficiency in third world countries and unavailability of investment facilities and lack of saving due to poverty, at that time in third world countries, grounded the idea that if western countries want to develop themselves, it is necessary that the third world countries should also be given facilities to develop, so they no longer suffer from economic crisis.

Thus concept of development communication (DC) arose within the framework of the contribution that communication and the media made to development in the countries of the Third World. Development communications are organized efforts to use communications processes and media to bring social and economic improvements, generally in developing countries. Three main ideas which define the philosophy of development communication and make it different from general communication are: Development communication is purposive communication, it is value-laden; and it is pragmatic. In the development context, a tacit positive value is attached to what one communicates about, which shall motivate the people for social change.

But originally the term Development Communication (DC) was used by the Western writers like Daniel Lerner, Lucian Pye and Wilbur Schramm, Taking the sense into consideration, Nora C. Quebral says, that Development communication is an art and science of human communication apply to the speedy transformation of a country and mass of its people from poverty to a dynamic state and the larger fulfillment of the human potential.”It is a technology based communication network, Regardless of message and content it tended to create, by reason of its inherent characteristics, a climate suited for development.

 

Characteristic of DC

•Large universe. 

•National development at macro level. 

•Without specific development goal. 

•Open ended and persuasive (with time limit) 

•Limited to mass media. 

•Functions from top to down. 

•Wide range of variables, difficult to control. 

•No feedback. 

•No interpersonal communication. 

Initially there was the concept of Development Communication (DC) in whole world but after world war devastation in field of social, cultural and economic, DC was in the mod of transformation as The United Nation, World Bank and different NGOs were established to solve the problems after the world war. During 1950s loans were issued to under develop countries and technology was transferred to speed up their development process. After a decade when analysis was done, it was realized that most of the plans failed. Projects were wasted and the problems of the people living in the rural and urban areas remain unsolved. Factors lying behind the failure of these projects were lack of understanding about social and cultural environmental problems, and lack of interpersonal communication of project developers. They were unable to create a strategy to make successful plans. They couldn^’t involve farmers, poor, semi illiterate people to participate in decision making process for their own benefit. Then it was realized that one country^’s development strategy cannot be applied over another country, it^’s better to plan projects in the light of the needs of that area, climate, thinking, concepts, culture, tradition, and the aptitude of the local people.

Thus In this situation in early 1960s the idea of Development Support Communication (DSC) was conceived by Professional Information Officer Erskine Childers. He was employ of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Childers proposed that the planners and projects developers can^’t enforce and motivate the people towards successful development and change. He suggested that this job can be well managed only by the people who know the art of communication. This idea leads to the concept of ^“Development Support Communication (DSC)^”.

Childers proposed a receiver oriented approach to development communication which would render communication as a ^“support^” rather than a deterrent to development. It quickly gained prevalence in UNO and other multilateral development agencies.

 

Erskine Childers, according to him

“DSC is specifically designed communication strategies which support a particular development program". In general, “DSC is a concept of communication activities that undertake exchange of messages at more participatory level to achieve specific goals of exchange and development”.

In the view of Rogers ^“Development communication refers to the uses of which communication is put in order to further development. Such applications are intended to either further development in a general way, such as by increasing the level of the mass media exposure among nation^’s citizens, in order to create a favorable ^“climate^’ for development, or to support a specific development programme or project this type of development communication is often termed as Development Support Communication.^”

 

The Philosophy of DSC

•The latest efforts undertaken to bring about a change in a limited area. 

•It emerged as a more specific and participatory communication effort to educate the people of rural settings. 

•It aims at targeting the audience to achieve a specific and defined goal of change and development. 

•It does not depend on technological based communication media. 

•It works within a limited community to create awareness about innovations.

•Its philosophy is to motivate the intended audience towards change using all available means of communication. 

•It interacts more closely. 

 

Development Communication Paradigms

Dominant paradigm of development

The dominant paradigm of development came into being in the 1960s based on the idea of modernization (industrial revolution, capital-intensive technology, economic growth and quantification per capita income index). Change agents of interpersonal system, together with the multiplying mass media are the twin pillars of the dominant paradigm, to introduce new ideas and practice in a given social system. Communication in the Dominant Paradigm became the crucial instrument of the directed social change initiated and instigated by outsiders representing programs of planned change.

It is the strategy of communication which flows from top to down. Development planner at the ^“Top^” and relay ^“down^” by technical assistance, intermediaries through government^’s beneficiary for implementation by using mass media and interpersonal communication.

The powerful effect characterization is known as ^“hypodermic needle^” theory; the ^“bullet and mechanistic S-R Theory^” has largely been assumed in the dominant paradigm.

 

The paradigm puts heavy emphasis on

•Investments in the ^“Modern^” sector with the hope that it would trickle down the advantages to the traditional setting. 

•The existence of a free enterprise system giving transnational corporations to access to both raw materials and sale on the commercial market. 

•Importation of advanced capital intensive technology by the developing countries. 

•Stimulation of saving by preserving income gaps, particularly in the developing countries, the assumption that equalization leads to less savings(= less money for investment). 

•Development aid in the form of loans, gifts technical assistance, and trained personnel. 

 

Alternative paradigm

The alternative paradigm evolved during 1960s and 1970s due the critical reasons like capital world order, unequal distribution, stress on economic development and top-down communication. Under the dominant paradigm social and economic development imposed upon the third world countries, resulted in an alienation of people from their original and natural potentials. Consequently the third world countries started thinking for the proper utilization of all their energies, the manpower delineation of human being, restoration of dignity, self-respect and faith in one^’s own capabilities.

This trend led social and economic scientist of the third world to search a new model or paradigm for development that can work proper. Then the idea of alternative paradigm emerged in concept of development. China, Tanzania and Cuba gave this idea on the basis of some international events and issues world oil crisis, realization of third world and relations with china.

Alternative paradigm is based upon these points:

•It is the strategy of communication which flows from down to top meaning starting from the grass root level. 

•Use of local natural resources usefully. 

•Use of human resources usefully and making few alternative opportunity of work power into appropriate labor. 

•Use of existing knowledge and dissemination of mass education in society or in whole country. 

•Spreading the innovations (new technology) equally to everyone. 

•Increasing more jobs opportunities in rural areas. 

•Promotion of idea of cooperation, ^“let^’s work together^”. 

•Equal distribution of wealth, education, technology, health facilities by closing the gap between haves and have-nots. 

•Make the society homogeneous (social, cultural and economic). 

•Making small groups of community and giving them tasks to complete. 

•Focusing on integration of modern system with traditional, social, cultural values (marriage of traditional system with modern one). 

•Involvement of every person of society in making policies and planning their own system for development and betterment. 

•Equal use of media for all segments in society. 

•Systematic network of Interpersonal communication. 

•Involvement of opinion leaders. 

•Dissemination of innovative messages. 

•Use of traditional media especially radio. 

 

DSC and change

The concept of change is positive in character which leads and motivates human beings towards better living conditions. Change process may occur at various levels and in different form. It may be termed as a change in people^’s physical structure, change in technology, social organization, normative values, demographic characteristics, agriculture, health and education etc. To our specific purpose, levels of change are summarized as:

Urbanization: The condition of being urbanized – it refers to increasing number of people that live in urban area. 

Industrialization: The development of industry on an extensive scale – The process in which a society or country (or world) transforms itself from a primarily agricultural society into one based on the manufacturing of goods and services. 

Modernization: Making modern in appearance or behavior – to accept or adopt modern ways, ideas or styles. 

In DSC context, sources of change are integral to the nature and importance of an intended change.

 

Sources of change

Land: A basic source of change, particularly in an agriculture community.

Work Force: Human beings-their intentions, interests and abilities.

Capital: Its availability, procurement and proper utilization. No change strategy can accomplish its goals without financial support which obviously needs capital.

Education: Leads a community towards awareness of what to do, what to accept and what to reject or modify. Change efforts can hardly succeed without educating the target society / community.

Opinion leaders: Such as social workers, local religious leaders (Imams in our society), school teachers etc.

Media Channels: Especially interpersonal communication in village settings.

Professionals: Professionals are associated with institutionalized arrangements for carrying on change actions. They may be attached with different social communities^’ agencies, such as health and family planning programs. They may also be communication experts.

Transport facilities: An important source of change in any community / society. Road, railways and other means of transportation link the change and reach the target areas. As change need flow of goods, ideas and essential mobility of human beings.

Government: Its structure, leadership, direction, planning and ability to execute the change projects.

Socio-cultural Values, belief system: In any change process, these components play decisive role of accepting and accommodating new ideas and things, of rejecting or resisting anything coming from outside.

But many campaigns and projects of DSC and change have been failed because assumptions were made about the willingness and capacity of people to absorb new technology and development infrastructures into their way of living and working. In third world countries especially in Pakistan DSC programs are facing some other obstacle in successful DSC. As philosophy behind DSC is to formulate and apply communication strategies specifically designed for concrete development program. It is generally used in micro situations. Concepts such as diffusion of innovations, two-step-flow and change agents are more easily operationalized under DSC.

 

Problems in successful DSC program

•Lack of Finance  •Lack of self-reliance in terms of money  •Misuse of funds  •Lack of planning  •Lack of investment  •Lack of education  •Lack of professional training  •Lack of use of modern communication means  •Lack of use of modern transportation  •Control over media  •Lack of government interest  •Administrative problems  •Lack of highly educated & skilled people  •Socio-cultural problems (diversities in language, customs, traditions and religions)  •Lack of youth & female participation

•Corruption  •Poverty  •Foreign pressure  •Wrong planning  •Lack of involvement of local people  •Lack of foreign investment  •Lack of cultural imperialism  •High rate of population growth  •Lack of use of natural resources  •Misleading identification of the problems •Self-interest of bureaucracy •Messy infrastructure of national institutions  •Lack of media guidance  •Lack of youth development programs. •Lack of political & provincial integration  •Lack of DSC awareness

Using Mass Media for DSC

Although interpersonal communication is the main tool of DSC operation, however, personal or face-to-face methods cannot reach everyone who wants and needs information. So following mass media methods are used to reach large numbers of people quickly.

•Print media (newspapers, wall newspapers, blackboard news, newsletters, folders, leaflets, pamphlets, and factsheets)

•Audio visual media (radio, audio cassette, TV, pictures, slides, film strips, overhead transparencies & audio visual recorder)

•Static media (posters, exhibits and displays)

•Emerging technology (communication satellites, telephones, video conferences, FM radios, 3D graphics, multimedia projectors, CDs, DVDs, Mobile phones and mother of all ^“the computer & internet^”)

These methods are particularly useful in making large number of people aware of new ideas and practices, or alerting them to sudden emergencies. While the amount of detailed information that can be transmitted by mass media is limited, they will serve an important and valuable function in stimulating target audience interest in new ideas. Once stimulated or made aware through mass media, audiences will seek additional information from neighbors, friends, extension workers or progressive audiences in the area.

[This article is uploaded in urgency, in order to facilitate students, without proofreading, errors/omissions are expected]