Talking Cure: A Case Study in Communication for Social Change

Preface

Communication for social change is an evolving methodology that allows communities to articulate their values, reconcile disparate interests and act upon shared concerns. Because it engages people in dialogue about difficult issues, it can be slow and unpredictable. It can also be difficult to evaluate. This case study makes no effort to analyze the field as a whole. Rather, it offers a narrative account of how stakeholders in one community - Decatur, Ill. - have tried to use the communication for social change methods to spark public and private dialogue, set an agenda, frame public debates and create an environment that is conducive to change.

"Talking Cure" examines communication for social change in action. The Decatur Community Partnership in Decatur, Illinois held focus group meetings beginning in 1998 where 2,000 community residents shared their views on quality-of-life issues and the health-care system. Subsequest discussion groups and conversations led to collective actions and change within the community. Priority areas for the community included: youth empowerment, substance abuse, race, community development and civic dialogue, environment, and health. This case study examines 3 specific areas addressed by the Partnership. It outlines the progress of these 3 "projects" against stages of the communication for social change model (click here for the Conceptual Model of Communication for Social Change from November 2001.)

Prepared for the Rockefeller Foundation. Available with permission of the author and per a license agreement with the Communication for Social Change (CFSC) Consortium.