Communication for Development: Conceptualising Changes in Communication and Inclusive Rural Transformation in the Context of Environmental Change

Sarah Cardey (), Pamela Joyce Moraleda Eleazar, Juliet Ainomugisha, Macneil Kalowekamo and Yurii Vlasenko
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Sarah Cardey: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6UR, UK
Pamela Joyce Moraleda Eleazar: College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Los Banos 4031, Philippines
Juliet Ainomugisha: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122 Piacenza, Italy
Macneil Kalowekamo: School of Arts, Communication and Design, University of Malawi, Zomba P.O. Box 280, Malawi
Yurii Vlasenko: Department of Economic Theory, National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 03041 Kyiv, Ukraine

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-28

Abstract: Globally, rural conditions are in states of change. They are often highly vulnerable to climate and environmental change, extreme weather events, conflict, socio-economic changes, inequalities, and demographic changes. These changes are putting stress on rural areas, which rely upon agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods and are often the foundation of national economies. Communication for development (C4D) has played an important role in addressing these challenges. Its thinking is broadly consistent with rural development goals—indeed, the roots of C4D come in part from rural development and agricultural extension. Communication for development (C4D) was defined by the World Congress on Communication for Development as “…a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods. It also seeks change at different levels, including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating, and learning for sustained and meaningful change. It is not public relations or corporate communications”. However, after decades of action to address these interrelated rural development challenges, much remains to be done. This paper critically considers the following: What does inclusive rural development mean now, in light of environmental change, and how does this affect the conceptualisation and practice of C4D? This was done by using three countries as case studies: Malawi, Ukraine, and the Philippines. Each of these countries represented contrasting challenges and opportunities for rural development and environmental change, with lessons from their experiences shedding insight into the communication for development thinking.

Keywords: communication for development; rural communication; rural transformation; inclusive rural development; environmental change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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