"El inicio del siglo XXI ha venido marcado por los debates que, en el plano internacional, están sometiendo a revisión la comunicación para el desarrollo con el fin de proponer otras alternativas como comunicación para el cambio social o comunicación para el empoderamiento ciudadano y ecosocial
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. El debate conceptual que tiene lugar está lejos de resolverse con una respuesta fácil e inmediata, en la medida en que todos los términos que entran en escena requieren de un trabajo genealógico que permita identificar las tensiones, los actores sociales y las perspectivas de investigación en conflicto." (Editorial)
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"This book approaches the memory sharing of groups, communities and societies as inevitable struggles over the interpretation of, and authority over, particular stories. Coming to terms with the past in memory work, alone or with others, is always unsteady ground and the activation of memory will al
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ways relay imaginations of futures we want to shape and inhabit. The contributors all explore in different ways how citizens can actualize a public and how citizens and groups struggle with their pasts and presents - and other group's understandings - in their work for futures they dream of, or envision. This implies an engagement with the notion of social justice, which in turn entails trial and revision of ideas and procedures of how to share the world. But to share also requires some kind of common ground and distributed power. The anthology thus engages with a range of cases that bring views and voices back in public, demanding justice, recognition, sometimes literally triggering new trials. Some of the memory work is done strategically, in the context of communication for development and social change interventions where NGOs, community-based organizations, governments or UN agencies pursue not just voice and views, but also very material demands for social justice and social change." (Publisher description)
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"The story of entertainment-education (EE) is that of a highly successful communication strategy that has achieved global recognition as a useful and effective approach to tackling contemporary development challenges. This chapter discusses the observed diversification of the science produced around
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EE. First, it maps out the practice of EE as documented in peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and unpublished theses completed in the period 2002 to early 2010. The chapter then deconstructs the theoretical elements that inform the practice of EE, guided by a series of questions. By unpacking the ontology of EE, the chapter identifies conceptual and practical shortcomings vis-à-vis the development challenges identified in the studies. The main purpose of the chapter is to establish that social change is a concept embedded in theories of development and change, and in social science theory of, for example, social norms, social capital, and social determinants." (Summary)
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"The Theater for Development (TfD) movement seeks to empower subaltern communities by using their own language and culture to strategize solutions to their problems. This chapter looks at historical and cultural factors in both the pre-colonial and colonial periods, which may have encouraged the ris
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e of TfD. It examines more immediate influences, mostly in the post-colonial period, and how they have created diverse forms of social theater in different continents and regions. After an attempt to elucidate key theories concerning the practice of TfD, the chapter discusses some of its articulations with a broader range of global communications. Arguably the most direct progenitor of TfD can be found in schools and University Drama. One of the major differences between TfD in Africa and in the rest of the Third World lies in patronage, the source of funding and its direct or indirect impact on the ideological stance of theater activists." (Summary)
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"Clear categorization of what is media development and what is communication for development is often problematic and much of this chapter focuses on continuities that exist across the fields whilst acknowledging there are genuine, well-argued, and real reasons why there should be a strong conceptua
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l distinction between the two. There are numerous cross-over organizations, which are clear in their support to both media development and media for development. The delineation between media development and communication for development is blurred. There are many reasons to think that the future will make such distinctions more blurred. The chapter looks at current trends likely to make these distinctions less useful, and suggests a terminology that might be more useful in describing the very real conceptual differences between the two fields." (Summary)
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"This chapter argues that in order to understand contemporary forms of video activism, we need to extend our analytical scope beyond the confinements of the strategic work of social movement actors. It offers a schematic map of the various fields and disciplines in which video for social change has
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been given analytical attention pointing towards three key approaches and theoretical horizons in the literature. The chapter provides a brief history of video activism by drawing parallels between the early days of analog video cassettes during the so called “Portapak revolution” to the emergence of digital video and online sharing platforms such as YouTube. It provides an introduction to the notion of “radical online video” as a label for identifying and analyzing a broad range of video for change in contemporary online environments. Finally, the chapter broaches a discussion of some of the challenges facing video activism today." (Summary)
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"This chapter explains the innovative social change strategies that civil society stakeholders, exploring the appropriation and development of information and communications technology (ICT) tools and techniques for the empowerment of ordinary citizens, have sought to develop and carry out in practi
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ce. The chapter addresses the communicative dimension of ICT and social accountability. It looks at a new generation of social accountability practices that through their creation of a solid evidence base seek to facilitate citizens’ direct forms of interaction with public service providers and government officials. The chapter demonstrates that social accountability mechanisms indeed constitute intentional processes of communication for social change and are beneficially studied empirically by the dominant methodological approaches of the communication for social change (C4SC) discipline." (Summary)
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"This chapter focuses on community radio as one form of community media, and explores how citizens and activists use community radio stations for development and social change, despite the challenges of financial sustainability. First, a brief history of community radio is provided, in an internatio
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nal context; after which the chapter explores various examples of how community radio stations have been used for social change. The chapter also explores how stations having new media technologies are accommodating digital platforms, engaging with listeners via online social networking sites, and using cellphone-based systems of feedback. The chapter concludes with some reflections on the role of radio in creating a space for the formation of publics, and as a tool of resistance." (Summary)
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"This chapter develops an exploratory analysis of the intersections between the processes of communication, social change, development, conflict and peace, through the combined use of the lenses and the premises of two theoretical perspectives: peace and conflict resolution studies, on the one side,
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and communication for social change, on the other side. The chapter highlights areas of complementarity or overlap, as well as spaces of contradiction, with the aim of broadening the understanding of the role of both communication and conflict in the processes of social change, development and sustainable peace-building. The new spaces of interaction on a local–national–global scale afforded by new technologies, and the blossoming of citizens’ media in countries with armed conflict have opened new possibilities and opportunities for civil society to actively participate and involve itself in the different phases of the conflict cycle." (Summary)
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"This chapter debates the relationship between youth and media by focusing on communication for social change and gives readers a sense of the history, development, and central concepts of youth-generated media. It offers a comprehensive framework for understanding young people's self-expressive art
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ifacts. The first section of the chapter offers a historical trajectory concerning the study of youth and media. The second section proposes an explication of the concept of youth-generated media as developed by young people themselves, and juxtaposed to youth-oriented media. The third section proposes two broad conceptual approaches to youth-generated media: a “sponsored-development” approach with a relatively dominant adult involvement and an “organic” approach with youth taking charge of their own media production. The fourth section offers brief illustrative case studies from the Arab Spring. The chapter concludes by highlighting the utility of the concept of youth-generated media and the challenges in understanding and interpreting young people's activities." (Summary)
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"This chapter provides an overview of development and social change by talking about advocacy approaches to social justice. Advocacy communication offers a critical approach within the field of development, working toward social justice. Recognizing conditions of globalization contributes toward an
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analysis of problems and solutions that privilege normative and structural change. Advocacy communication engages strategic intervention with clear political positions, having no pretense toward neutrality, and resisting hegemonic dominance in valuing social justice. Focusing on advocacy allows one to consider the potential value of social change, recognizing the latent and manifest politics of approaches to intervention. The chapter also explores the role of communication and media in facilitating and limiting the potential for advocacy. It concludes with future research areas that would contribute toward social justice." (Summary)
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"Media consumption today takes on first order meanings that we can challenge, understand and clarify. This is where the audience learns to believe in watchdogging and vice versa. Citizen watchdog groups (Veedurias) attempt to critically understand public narratives beyond first order meanings that a
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re not necessarily oppositional. These readings provide a new opportunity to understand the medium, and the audience that obtains some satisfaction by listening to radio, listening to local or international music, and by watching and interacting with TV programming. Citizen watchdog groups and observatories confront the challenge of watching, debating and proposing in order to achieve a better understanding of the public world from their own private worlds. These groups and observatories are located in that interaction between public and private issues in the mass media, tracing the footprints left by public/private/intimate actors. Citizen watchdog groups and observatories analyze the mediations and intermediations that are regularly built." (Summary)
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"This chapter first discusses evaluation of communication for development in relation to ideas around participation and social change, before presenting the framework for evaluating communication for development and social change, and the key principles that underpin it. It then describes some of th
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e most interesting current trends and debates in development evaluation that informed the development of the framework, and outlines some strategies for overcoming the many challenges and issues associated with implementing this alternative evaluation approach. The chapter discusses some of the aspects of systems thinking and complexity theory that informs the framework, and gives brief examples to illustrate their relevance. Finally, the chapter discusses the implications for increasing the sustainability and effectiveness of communication for development and social change." (Summary)
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"This chapter argues that narrative can be particularly well suited to transcend the unhelpful polarizations – behavioral versus social change, diffusion versus participatory approaches – that have characterized and restricted global health communication to date. The chapter describes a series o
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f theoretical rationales and cases that can be enlisted to support the conceptualization of storytelling for social change practices and their effects at multiple levels of analysis. Next, it considers the theoretical base and cases on narrative and narration into articulation with the “Scenarios from Africa” process. Culture has been conceptualized as a “static set of never-changing values and norms” to which individuals are subject, rather than as “a complex, dynamic, and adaptive system of meaning” that is constantly evolving under the influence of individuals and collectivities. The theory of narrative and education proposed by cultural and educational psychologist, Jerome Bruner, provides a compelling grounding for this social constructivist perspective." (Summary)
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"The phenomenon of academics committed to social justice interrogating social science theory and research, frames the formation of the fields of citizens’ media and citizens’ journalism in the Latin American region. This chapter explains how Chantal Mouffe's ideas and her theory of radical democ
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racy inform citizens’ media and citizens’ journalism. It then describes how these concepts are used in specific research analyses. Belgian political scientist Chantal Mouffe shifts theories of democracy from a liberal perspective based on individual rights and responsibilities to a more nuanced analysis of power and political action. The goal of public journalism is to use media technologies to move dissent – the multiple voices of counter-publics – to the public sphere. Gaining a space among the elites who previously had made decisions without consulting citizens has been one of the greatest achievements that public journalism has had in our society." (Summary)
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"This chapter documents the experience of the Communication for Change (C-Change) project in developing and rolling out a holistic and comprehensive socioecological approach to social and behavior change communication (SBCC) within the context of a donor-funded program with short term goals. C-Chang
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e's SBCC framework uses a socioecological model for change. This model views social and behavior change as a product of multiple, overlapping levels of influence as well as political and environmental factors. The “health belief model” helps to find out why audience's perceptions are not in favor of change in the search for tipping points for change. The chapter describes three characteristics of SBCC. The key models and concepts of the C-Change's SBCC framework are incorporated into at least 75 government programs in Africa. The advocacy and social mobilization strategies of SBCC are aimed at ensuring sustainability through host government “buy-in” and support." (Summary)
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"The book questions whether and how young citizens in Africa engage with media and communications technologies and platforms in a desire to be included in the change processes of their societies. The theme echoes some of the claims made by disenchanted and frustrated youth and other citizens in the
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streets of North Africa’s cities in 2011 and 2012. They were severely critical of the governance structures in their countries, mass social mobilizations took place, governments fell and, in the aftermath, the slow process of transition continued, now with one tyrant less but still with uncertain outcomes and huge challenges for the social and economic development of these countries. Youth in particular engaged massively, visibly, loudly and dramatically around demands to be involved and included in their countries’ development processes. This yearbook taps into the less visible and dramatic, but nevertheless highly dynamic and influential, process of media development and the enlargement of youth-driven, deliberative spaces which sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing." (Nordicom website)
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