This course will look into theory and research related to the application of communication strategies and principles in the developing world. You will learn how different models of communication and approaches may affect interventions concerned with improving the lives of people struggling with economic and socio-political problems in the non-Western world. Course participants will discuss the effectiveness of communication (interpersonal and multimedia) to address problems where change in attitude or behavior is called for – from AIDS in Africa to family planning programs in Egypt. This course is interdisciplinary by virtue of its subject matter, i.e., different disciplines and theories have converged in the field of development communication. You will explore the differences and convergence points of the two broad approaches that dominated the field of development communication, i.e., diffusion and participatory models. The course is designed to demonstrate an understanding of communication that is not reduced to the idea of information transmission but the one encompassing the idea of process and exchange.
This course is designed to introduce you to research methods and their application across mass media studies. It will provide you with a wide understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, including research ethics, sampling, data collection, analysis, and effective communication of its findings. You will explore the broad range of research design used in media studies from surveys, media content analysis, focus groups and in-depth interviewing.