Communication for Social Change (CFSC):

Communication for Social Change (CFSC): Modeling Social Mobilization to Support Development

Outline of presentation • Background • A Model of Social Mobilization • Components of the model • Synergy, impacts and outcomes • Applying the model

Definitional issues: CFSC - “a process of public and private dialogue through which people define who they are, what they want and how they can get it.” • Social Changethe transformation of the overall structure represented by the change in the distribution of resources (educational, economic, power, discursive) • “Participatory”enabling people to critically decide where they want to go and how, andincreasing community organization for collective action • Community - A collection of individuals with a shared agenda for change.

Early communication models (1960’s) Audience: Individuals Messages: Top Down • The Diffusion of Inovations • sets the stage (Rogers, 1962) • Persuasive messages = direct and uniform impact producing a climate of acceptance of innovation. • Mass media seen as “magic” multipliers • of development benefits

Later Communication models (1970’s) Audience: “Communities” Message: Locally developed • Emphasis on active participation, self-determination, self-reliance, sustainability • The Pedagogy of the Oppressed sees the light (Freire, 1970)

Changing the paradigm:Rockefeller premises of CFSC Conferences,1998, 1999, 2000 • Sustainability; community owns the process and content of communication • CFSC empowering, horizontal communication • Communities are agents of their change • From persuasion to dialogue and debate • Shift in outcomes will include; social norms, culture, and supportive environment

Communication for Social Change Model

IntegratedModel of CFCS Catalyst External Constraints and Support Community Dialogue Collective Action Individual Outcomes Social Outcomes Societal Impact Figueroa & Kincaid, 2/2001

Stimulating Social Change:The Beginning The Catalyst for change: identifies the problem or the solution to an unrecognized problem Internal Stimulus Change Agent Policies Technology Innovation Mass Media

Integrated Model of CFSC Community Dialogue Expression of Individual & Shared Interests Clarify Perceptions Recognition of a Problem Identification/ Involvement of Leaders & Stakeholders Vision of the Future Conflict-Dissatisfaction Disagreement External Constraints and Supports Action Plan Value for Continual Improvement Consensus on Action Options for Action Setting Objective Assessment of Current Status Collective Action Mobilization of Organization(s) Assignment of Responsibilities Outcomes Social & Individual Participatory Evaluation Implementation • Outcomes vs. • Objectives • Individuals • Existing Community • Groups • New Community • Task Forces • Others • Media • Health • Education • Religious • Other

Individual Outcomes • Skills • Ideation • Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceived • Risk, Subjective Norms, Self-Image, • Emotion, Self-Efficacy, Social • Influence, & Personal Advocacy • Intention • Behavior

Social Outcomes • Leadership • Degree & Equity of Participation • Information Equity • Shared Ownership • Collective Efficacy • Social Capital - Trust & Social Reciprocity - Network Cohesion • Equitable Access to Resources • Value for Continual Improvement

Interaction of Individual and Social Outcomes on Health Individual Health Behavior Change NO YES Limited Health Improvement Maintenance of the status quo NO Collective Change Increased potential for health improvement Self-sustained health improvement YES

The Bottom Line? Individual Change + Social Change = Social Development and Greater Human Capital to drive future development

Applyingthe CFSCModel • Evaluation Social/Community/Participatory mobilization (Design purpose) • A “community” screening tool – to identify communities with sufficient change structures for interventions to achieve impacts and outcomes. • A project design template • A framework for expanded theoretical development

CFSC Reference Material Sources • How to Mobile Communities for Social Change: • http://www.hcpartnership.org/Publications/Field_Guides/Mobilize/htmlDocs/cac.htm • Commuincation for social change: An integrated model for measuring the process and its outcomes • http://www.phishare.org/documents/JHUCCP/209/ • or http://www.rockfound.org/Documents/540/socialchange.pdf

Thank Youand Thanks to the Rockefeller Foundation for its support “Those who authentically commit themselves to the people must re-examine themselves constantly.” “… they almost always bring with them the marks of their origin: their prejudices and their deformations, which include a lack of confidence in the people’s ability to think, to want and to know.” Paulo Freire, 1970 Lawrence Kincaid Maria Elena Figueroa Gary Lewis

RevisedModel of the Convergence Model with Emotional Response PSYCHOLOGICAL REALITY A PHYSICAL REALITY PSYCHOLOGICAL REALITY B INFORMATION Interpreting Perceiving Perceiving Interpreting Feelings Feelings Action Action Emotional Response Emotional Response Collective Action Understanding Believing Believing Understanding Mutual Agreement MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL REALITY and RELATIONSHIP A & B

Communication for Social Change (CFSC):