Just a few months ago I had no idea of the impact, let alone the presence of developmental communication as a field in social science. At this time I was trying to get into the department of communication at Cornell, and I wrote my application essay about a phenomenon I observed in Uganda, an issue I now know is being addressed by international development communication work. Let me share what I got a peak of in the summer of 2011. I spent a few weeks in Uganda and in this short time saw first hand the diminished quality of life due to unsuccessful farming. Though farming technologies and methods are available and could greatly improve the lives of rural Ugandan farmers, I saw and heard their reluctance to give up their traditional ways of farming out of fear of change. I could see that more effective and sustainable agricultural techniques could increase production and quality of life. But I became aware that issues like these are complex and require effective communication as much as they require new technologies and methods.
Observing an extreme state of poverty that could be relieved gave me a burden to affect change in such circumstances. But I had also come to the realization that having an influence in such a complex issue is not simple. Since entering the department of communication at Cornell in fall of 2013, I have come to find that measures are indeed being taken to improve the lives of rural African farmers through international development communication work. This field is concerned primarily with rural problems and seeks to make social change. Research done in this field has a goal and purpose to make social improvements. Developments involve both economics and individual people; developmental communication seeks to improve both social positions and quality of life.
Discovering that work is being done to improve the lives of rural African farmers brought me joy in and of itself, but finding that research is being done through my department and that I could get involved in these developments blew me away. Carrie Young, one of my TAs and a graduate student in Cornell’s department of communication, shared with me about developmental research she has conducted in Kenya and Zambia. She pulled me into the loop in February and I have since been enlightened and learning about the effects of climate change on rural agriculture in Africa and various efforts to educate and improve farming production and quality of life for rural African farmers. Carrie’s research goals both in Kenya and Zambia have been to assess the effectiveness of measures and tools that have already been set in place for rural farmers. In Kenya she conducted a qualitative study to assess the effectiveness of two edutainment shows, Makutano Junction and Shamba Shape Up. In Zambia last summer, Carrie conducted a qualitative study to assess the usefulness of COMACO’s Farm Talk radio show.
Just two semesters into my undergraduate studies at Cornell, I have shifted gears from hardly knowing what the field of communication would offer towards social change to awareness and involvement in international development communication work. You might never know what is out there until you go looking – or in my case, until you catch wind of it.
ejmistur 