The Family Tree Theories of Communicating Social Change - Essay Example

Social Change Program-the UNEP Introduction The paper presents an assessment of communication for social change through the perspective of three elements. The first component is an elaboration of the theories of communication for social change and their application to the implementation of MDGs. The second component is a critical analysis of the effectiveness of social change programs using the same framework of MDGs. The final part of the paper provides an analysis and integration of cultural perspectives in the implementation of social change programs. This work analyzes the Millennium Development Goal 7, which is to ensure universal environmental sustainability. The goal is one the United Nations formulated in the hope of changing the trends and perceptions of the entire world regarding the management of the environment. The goal is a social change program because it entails both communicative aspects and an implementation that relies on modification of the characters of people. An interpretation of the development goal will elaborate its scope within the social context. The communicative aspects of the project will demonstrate the effectiveness of the theories of communication of social change. The Family Tree Theories of Communicating Social Change Development of the field of development communication is not like the rest of the areas of knowledge because there exists many practical theories used simultaneously. As such, newer ideas emerge and apply alongside older theories of the same case. The developed theories have a basis of a number of factors. Most of them seek to interpret the relationship between people and development projects. For instance, they try to establish the correlation between culture and the environment, psychology and the political interventions to environmental development (Gumucio & Tufte 2006, p.531). They also consider the link between individuals and the community and the existing hierarchy as well as their involvement. As such, the theories explain the importance of communicating the process of social change in the society. The most dominant paradigm has been behavior change models because social change entails behavioral adjustments (McMichael 2008, p. 276). Most of such theories based on the idea that the hindrances to development lied in lack of lack of knowledge of the people. As such, the principles affirmed that the best approaches were those that would provide the people with information that would change their character. One such theory is that of modernization, which proposes that information and culture deficits underlie the development problems, and their solutions do not entail economic assistance only. Instead, the theory suggests that problems in most underdeveloped communities lie in the existence of a culture resistant to change. Culture in this context is a hindrance to the adoption of ideas that would yield a transformation in the community. Having identified that the main problem with development in many regions of the world was an information problem, communication serves as a tool for its solution. Communication, in this case, is a transmission of information from one place to another. One method adopted for such a scenario is the increase in access to mass media and other channels of passing information. Communication in such a case involves a large number of people, which is the community. Therefore, communication serves as a strategy that causes a change in the behaviors of people in the community. For instance, entertainment-education serves as a tool that passes information through the media. The model entails designing communication channels that would use the media to both educate and entertain the community. Another approach to communicating for social change is the participatory model. The theory requires that the developers and implementers of a social change program consider the particular context and cultural diversity that the modernization theories ignored (Donovan & Henley 2003, p. 10). The lack of sensitivity to such aspects of the community results in the failure of many development projects. For this case, the theory considers the issue that development is not a restriction to things such as piping, water, building of roads and distribution of electricity. Nor does the development mean only an increase in agricultural and industrial development. One proof of such an argument is the fact that many projects that targeted to develop agriculture failed because of the reluctance of the farmers to abandon their traditional farming methods. Modernization theories overlooked the importance of the participation of the local communities in the implementation of projects. The problem also meant that they did not consider the interaction of cultures in the effectiveness of projects. For example, many people did not like the flavor of piped water after its arrival. As a result, they used the water for bathing and washing rather than cooking and drinking. It was particularly difficult to persuade a majority of the people concerning scientific methods of improving the community because of the cultural attachments to some values. Asking people to change their older practices for new ones is always a tough task. For example, there are debates in some developing nations concerning the family planning methods, which is a conflict between cultural values and modernization. As such, the theory supposes that the best approach to the problems was to invite communal participation through the communication channels. A Review of the MGD goal 7 and the Social Context UNEP is in charge of environmental development and currently oversees that implementation of the MDG 7. The goal aims to ensure that the world attains environmental sustainability over a period of 100 years (United Nations 2009, p. 1). The environment has diverse aspects that tough the social life context, which puts the program directly under the category of social change projects (UNDP 2009, p. 1). The project targets to incorporate sustainable development principles into country policies. Such a move will help the program to achieve in its bid to reverse loss of resources from the environment. The project also targets to minimize the loss of biodiversity, reduce the proportion of people without accesses to basic sanitation and drinking water. The project will also ensure that it attains its target of achieving a significant improvement in the standards of living of people who live in slums (United Nations 2009, p. 1). There are aspects of the project that apply to the communication of social change. The first is the fact that the program seeks to integrate the project into policies for different countries (Gudykunst & Mody, 2000). Such a move coincides with the requisition by the theories that the projects involve the participation of the community. The community in such a context is the nations of the world, which have the diversity of their people. The governments of such countries form policies that represent their traditions and national cultures. Such governments have the ability of convincing the citizens to participate in the implementation of the projects. The framework of the same projects requires that the particular governments engage in educative plans that will make the project acceptable to the people. Such plans are in line with the modernization theory, which calls for the need for communication in the implementation of a project to the community. For that case, the communication programs will include a framework that will interpret the governmental policies to the people. The communication will also serve as a platform of educating the people about the importance of environmental sustainability. The administrative units in the particular countries will also give a method of infusing the cultural aspects of their populations to the MDG goals. UNEP considers the fact that the success of its millennium goal lies in its ability to communicate and convincing people of diverse cultures into accepting one ideology that could unite them on a standard course. The communication will also give the communities in each nation to participate in the projects the projects that their leaders formulate. Therefore, it is necessary that the governments consider their traditional approaches to environmental issues, which will define their cultural attachment to the same matter. The environment constitutes nature, which is home to all people and, therefore, forms a part of the culture of each group of people. There is no conventional method of counting and designing programs to address all cultures, globally. The best method that UNEP adopted was to consider each nation as a different culture and to allow them the freedom of making policies that suit their culture. However, the policies constituted relate to the overall goal of the UN. Conclusion The paper has analyzed three family tree theories that help the UN to realize the attainment of its seventh MGD goal through the UNEP. The modernization theory insists on the importance of communication in the implementation of a project that will understand sustainability of the environment. For this case, communication will help to outdo the cultural hindrances to development of the project. The communication will also serve as a way of passing the information to the people of different cultures and inviting them to take part in the project proposals. The participation of the community in the implementation of the national-specific policies will integrate the world into one culture and martial concerted effort to a better environment. The discussed theories have emphasized the need for educating the people through communication and involving their participation. If the community will not accept the changes imposed on them if it lacks relevant information. Bibliography Donovan, R. and Henley, N. (2003). Social Marketing: Principles and Practice, Melbourne: IP Communications. Gudykunst, W. B. & Mody, B. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication, Thousand Oaks, London, New Delhi: Sage Publications, pp. 457- 478. Gumucio, A., & Tufte, T. (2006). Communication for social change anthology: historical and contemporary readings. South Orange, N.J., Communication for Social Change Consortium. McMichael, P. (2008). Development and Social Change: Global Perspective, Thousand Oaks, Pine Forge Press, pp.273-291. UNDP.org; Millennium Project.org (2009). About the MDG: Basics; Goals, targets and Indicators. Retrieved March 29, 2015 from UNDP.org/mdg/basics.shtml; http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/gti.htm United Nations (2009). Millennium Development Goals Beyond 2015. Retrieved on March 29, 2015 from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/Goal_7_fs.pdf Appendix (Attached Copy of the campaign) Read More