"By assessing edutainment as a space of cultural translation, Drama for Development advances an often neglected perspective in this topics' research. It focuses on what happens when various goals, worldviews and needs from donors, producers and the audiences come together in the production and meani
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ng construction of soap operas. The perspective is illustrated by examples from the largely South Asian experiences of the BBC World Service Trust, itself seen as a cross-cultural contact zone. Tensions between western scientific paradigm and local researcher in the audience research process (chapter 3), the cosmopolitan competencies of the production team in harmonizing the urge for authenticity, cultural sensitivity and development objectives (chapter 6) and the construction of social realism as an interplay of the observed realities of the audiences and the neo-liberal themes of donors (e.g., opium in ch.6 and forced marriage in chapter 11) exemplify some of the processes taking place in that zone. The epistemological position of the book is complementary to the more technical perspective of the existing body of literature, which sometimes fails to capture the complex processes of meaning construction and link it to the wider social context." (commbox)
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"In August 2008, the BBC World Service Trust conducted a quantitative midline sentinel survey on HIV and AIDS Knowledge Attitudes and Practice (KAP) and media habits. The Trust has consistently applied a survey methodology using cross-sectional household-based surveys since 2004. The 2008 Sentinel S
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tudy total sample size is 1,368 young people aged 15-29 from six locations—Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampong Speu, Kampong Chhnang, Battambang and Siem Reap. These provinces were selected for the sentinel surveys because they have the highest level of media consumers according to the CDHS 2005. Data was collected using face to face interviews in the Khmer language. Fieldwork was conducted in August 2008. The survey questionnaire, as in the 2007 Sentinel Study, covered a range of topics, of which this report includes: demographics; media practices; HIV and AIDS on radio and TV; exposure to the Trust’s HIV and AIDS outputs." (Executive summary, page 8)
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