Andrews, Deborah C. “A Participatory Approach to Communication for Developing Countries,” in Managing Global Communication in Science and Technology, ed. Peter J. Hager and H.J. Scheiber (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000), 67-83.
This article, which appears as a chapter within the book Managing Global Communication in Science and Technology, outlines the complexities involved when developing solutions to problems in developing countries. The author advises that organizations can only develop effective solutions to problems by listening to the voice of the local people. The article advises that soliciting feedback from local people empowers them and makes them more fully vested in the outcome of the project. The author cites several case studies, and also reviews how focus group discussions (FGDs)can be used to facilitate feedback. The article specifically focuses on how one non-governmental organization (NGO) called Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) uses FGDs to design health information materials. Initially, PATH determines the level of audience (policy/decision makers, program managers, clinicians, fieldworkers, or clients), profiles their needs, then develops their message. The message is then tested on audience to see if it meets their needs. The article provides 6 different sets of visuals that were created and then adapted based on this feedback. One specific image was designed to show Kenyans that pregnant women should carry lighter loads than women who aren’t pregnant. The initial image depicted a woman carrying a heavy load with an “X” superimposed over the women’s figure. Low-literate audiences in Kenya initially did not understand the meaning of the “X”, so the image was redesigned to show a visibly pregnant woman carrying a smaller load than a non-pregnant woman. I feel that this article and its accompanying bibliography could prove helpful for my paper, as it outlines specific research done with the assistance and input of the local people.
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