The Dominant Paradigm of Development Communication

The Modernization StoryThe UN and its associated agencies like WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO & UNDP, the IMF and the World Bank came forward to help the newly independent countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America.Notion of modern nation prescribed by West.

What is the dominant paradigm?Modernization theories propounded by Lerner and others.Grew out of colonial experience in Latin America, Africa and Asia as well as capitalistic philosophy of economics and politics.Aimed at raising standard of living by alleviating poverty while improving the economy

Essential features of dominant paradigm (Schramm)Industry is the prime mover of economy, so major investment must go to industry.Modern society needs more specialists than generalists in each field.Public education needed to raise public participation in government.Healthcare and family planning needed to raise well-being of the population.Industry profit can be siphoned to agricultural sectorDissemination of information through mass media important to increase rapid development

Mass media and dominant paradigmMass media direct and powerful force to disseminate information and innovations.Communication perceived as one-way transmission to public, hence mass media effective tools.Well developed media infrastructure implied national development

Critique of the dominant paradigmMore indirect than direct effects.Barriers of traditionalism, widespread poverty, illiteracy, over-populationLack of well co-coordinated institutional mechanisms to pass on fruits of economic growth to disadvantaged sections. Redtapism, inefficiency and corruption.Industrialization resulted in reduction of labor, increased unemployment, rural migration to urban areas.

Decline of dominant paradigmDefining development in terms of GNP, per capita income etcCapital Intensive technology in capital-poor nationsNeglecting labor-intensive strategiesFocusing on internal constraints only and not the external factorsSupporting top-down approach to development

New ConcernsOverall change of social structure pre-requisite for development.

Communication cannot make development possible by itself.

Knowledge Gap HypothesisMass media can reinforce existing inequalities between the advantaged and disadvantaged sections of the society.

Relative difference in their knowledge level.

As per Wilbur Schramm

Mass media have proved in many, many countries to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for development.