Section 1: Introduction: Communication for Social Change: An Integrated Model for Measuring the Process and Its Outcomes

Section One: An Integrated Model of Communication for Social Change

Introduction

The guiding philosophy of communication for social change can readily be traced to the work of Paulo Freire (1970), the Brazilian educator who conceived of communication as dialogue and participation for the purpose of creating cultural identity, trust, commitment, ownership and empowerment (in today's term). The proposed model builds on this principle and a broad literature on development communication developed by practitioners, communication activists and scholars (such as Beltrán, Díaz Bordenave, Calvelo, Shirley White, Prieto Castillo, Everett Rogers, Mata, Simpson, Servaes, Portales and Kincaid), as well as on theories of communication, dialogue and conflict resolution. In bringing together the work of practitioners and scholars we have found that there is considerable agreement on the role of communication in development even though at various times over the last 30 years the two groups have diverged.

In this sense, special recognition should be given to the practitioners convened by the Rockefeller initiative for reigniting the dialogue and re-examination of the role of communication in development. We are also indebted to other issue-framing activities, such as the recent UNAIDS communication framework, that was developed through a worldwide process that brought together communication specialists and practitioners working in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention. Many of the practitioners and scholars involved in these activities also participate actively in online debate through the Communication Initiative's Drumbeat. This interaction between theory and practice, through the dialogue among practitioners and scholars, will undoubtedly produce valuable contributions and insights for the field of development communication.

It is inappropriate to base a model of communication for social change on a linear model of communication that describes what happens when an individual source transmits a message to a receiver or group of receivers with some desired and predetermined individual effect. For social change, a model of communication is required that is cyclical and relational and leads to an outcome of mutual change rather than one-sided, individual change. In this section we provide a brief description of such a model: communication as dialogue rather than monologue, as a cyclical process of information sharing which leads to mutual understanding, mutual agreement and collective action. This alternative model serves as the foundation upon which the Communication for Social Change Model is based.

The community as defined in this document is a multilevel concept ranging from local, geographically defined entities, such as villages, cities and nations, to international entities widely dispersed in space and time, such as activists organised by means of the Internet to protest the World Trade Organization. It also includes issue-related groups, such as the gay community, professional organisations and even the development communication community itself. A more complete definition of community for purposes of measurement is provided in Section 2.

The model also recognises that communities are not homogeneous entities but are comprised of subgroups with social strata and divergent interests. As a consequence, disagreement and conflict are also incorporated into the communication for social-change model. The full layout of the model is presented in this section. The model also acknowledges that external constraints and supports often hinder or facilitate community dialogue and collective action.