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- Description:
- This paper challenges the entrenched Shannon and Weaver model of communication and suggests alternative approaches to community health education. An alternative, where the emphasis falls on the receiver or 'reader', is examined with special reference to DramAidE. DramAidE is a South African state funded HIV/AIDS education programme in which plays, workshops and community days become a process through which dialogue around health issues is established between health workers and a school community. The approach is to use local expressive forms (plays, songs, poems, dances and posters) as enabling resources or mechanisms of learning and of re-enacting and retelling the 'story' from shifting positions. The issues raised about the impact on the community of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are further explored in participatory workshops with the intention of changing attitudes and developing some skills. The work is based on the premise that good health is dependent on social, psychological, economic and environmental factors. Likewise, sicknesses are states which must be seen in a holistic sense. The understanding of the meaning of health in this approach is culture bound and it is important not to separate out the physiological from the cultural. A further contention is that health, as a constituent and dynamic component of subjectivity does not refer to a state so much as to a process. This means that health is about self-image, self-esteem and self-confidence. The drama based workshops offered in the progamme focus on building self-esteem and self-awareness as a first step in making choices about healthy behaviour. Therefore, health education should not be actively aimed at changing personal behaviour alone. Young people need to demonstrate skills in changing their social environment and to this end DramAidE is forming clubs in schools that will become self-sufficient and to encourage the school community to take pride in building a culture of learning and health promotion in the school. The long term aim of DramAidE is to develop a social movement around celebrating the joy of choosing to live a healthy life style. We are asking ourselves and young people to 'Act Alive'. One strategy for mobilising young people is build an awareness of the interaction between human rights and health and thus find a common theme that cuts across differences of heritage and culture
- Date Issued:
- 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- Africa Media Review
- Description:
- The thesis of this paper is that meaningful and lasting development can only be based on the mobilisation of our people for effective transformation of the developmental process. However, the continuing search by Nigeria since independence for more dynamic, efficient and relevant strategies of achieving real development does imply frustration with past attempts as well as our inability to maximally and positively exploit these resources for the upliftment and well-being of the Nigerian people. This has resulted in the marginalisation of the vast majority of the people in the transformation process, particularly because of the low level of their education and, therefore, low consciousness which not only made them vulnerable to fraudulent manipulations by politicians, but has created among them a culture of helplessness, apathy and indifference about the happenings in the political and economic process.
- Date Issued:
- 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- Africa Media Review
- Description:
- The decade of the 1980s could, from a communications perspective, be typified as the period of 'social mobilisation'. Rather than expanding on the theoretical assumptions underlying the social mobilisation approach for development, this article discusses the consequences of the theoretical assumptions for the use of personal and mass media, as experienced in the African context.
- Date Issued:
- 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- Africa Media Review
- Description:
- This paper directs its attention on information campaign effectiveness. It examines some theoretical and practical considerations that should be taken into account in planning and executing public englightenment campaigns in Nigeria and other developing countries and offers a multimedia model for more effective information campaigns in these areas. According to the model, well prepared and packaged information campaign messages should flow from the information campaign headquarters to the mass media and the interpersonal and group communication channels, and through these channels to the target audiences with continual monitoring and evaluation by campaign officials. The suggested model is diagramatically provided.
- Date Issued:
- 1986-06-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- Africa Media Review
- Description:
- This article is about social mobilisation as a development communication approach which enhances people's participation in social or development programmes or projects. It examines the concept and elements of social mobilisation and the extent to which social mobilisation has been applied to improve people's participation in the Botswana national literacy programme. The analysis of social mobilisation practice in Botswana has shown that when mobilised, people participate in large numbers in development programmes. For example, mobilisation activities which were mounted during a period of one year between when the programme started as an experiment and when it was officially launched as a national programme resulted in impressive participation statistics. Finally, the article suggests the application of both social mobilisation and a literacy approach that is amenable to social mobilisation, if Botswana is to eradicate or greatly reduce adult illiteracy by the year 2000.
- Date Issued:
- 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- Africa Media Review