Sociology and Space, No. 71-72, 1981.
Professional paper
Rural Development and the Flow of Communication
Henry R. Cassirer
Abstract
The author establishes the following
communicational needs in the
development of the village: the need
for open dialogue and mutual trust
between the peasant and the bearer
of information, the need for
transmitting new knowledge and
skills to farmers, the need for
cooperation between society in
general and the local, village
community and parts of it, and the
need for overcoming so-called
communicational voids, i.e. the need
for the voice of peasants also to be
heard.
The author also analyses the social
dimensions of development using
new currents of communication,
and indicates primarily the
importance of the cultural
dimension. Change cannot be
imposed upon any environment,
especially not on the closed rural
environment; on the contrary, it
can stem only from a process of
dialogue which respects the
language, culture, customs, tradition
and local cultural expression of
every environment. Regardless of
whether communication takes place
vertically and/or horizontally, or
simultaneously in all three
directions (upwards, downwards,
horizontally), currents of
communication can influence the
development of the village only if
the media are within reach of rural
inhibitants, if they can be applied
to local conditions, and if the
messages the media bear can be
realized with regard to the local
needs and organizational
capabilities of every rural
environment.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
119439
URI
Publication date:
18.6.1981.
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