Health Comm Health Comm InterventionsInterventions

The Case of Soul CityThe Case of Soul City

Thomas Tufte, Prof.Thomas Tufte, Prof.Roskilde University, DenmarkRoskilde University, Denmark

ttufte@ruc.dk

Emory University, 13 April 2011Emory University, 13 April 2011

Comm Interventions: Comm Interventions: Key players…Key players…

GovernmentsGovernmentsUN/International governmental UN/International governmental

agenciesagencies INGOs/NGOsINGOs/NGOsSocial Movements/TANsSocial Movements/TANs

Edutainment Edutainment – telling stories strategically– telling stories strategically

Entertainment-education is the use of Entertainment-education is the use of entertainment as a communicative entertainment as a communicative practice crafted to strategically practice crafted to strategically communicate about development issues communicate about development issues in a manner and with a purpose that can in a manner and with a purpose that can range from the more narrowly defined range from the more narrowly defined social marketing of individual behaviours social marketing of individual behaviours to the liberating and citizen-driven to the liberating and citizen-driven articulation of social change agendas articulation of social change agendas (Tufte 2005)(Tufte 2005)

Making the Private Public Making the Private Public

Compared with the reality which comes from Compared with the reality which comes from being seen and heard, even the greatest forces being seen and heard, even the greatest forces of intimate life – the passions of the heart, the of intimate life – the passions of the heart, the thoughts of the mind, the delights of the senses thoughts of the mind, the delights of the senses – lead to an uncertain, shadowy kind of – lead to an uncertain, shadowy kind of existence unless and until they are existence unless and until they are transformed, deprivatized and deindividualized, transformed, deprivatized and deindividualized, as it were, into a shape to fit them for public as it were, into a shape to fit them for public appearance. The most current of such appearance. The most current of such transformations occurs in storytelling… transformations occurs in storytelling… (Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition, 1958: (Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition, 1958: 50)50)

Coping StrategyCoping Strategy

Storytelling is a coping strategy that involves Storytelling is a coping strategy that involves making words stand for the world, and then, by making words stand for the world, and then, by manipulating them, changing one’s experience of manipulating them, changing one’s experience of the world. By constructing, relating and sharing the world. By constructing, relating and sharing stories, people contrive to restore viability to the stories, people contrive to restore viability to the relationship with others, redressing a bias toward relationship with others, redressing a bias toward autonomy when it has been lost, and affirming autonomy when it has been lost, and affirming collective ideals in the face of disparate collective ideals in the face of disparate experiences. It is not that speech is a replacement experiences. It is not that speech is a replacement for action: rather that it is a supplement, to be for action: rather that it is a supplement, to be exploited when action is impossible or confounded exploited when action is impossible or confounded (Michael Jackson, 2002: 18)(Michael Jackson, 2002: 18)

Soul City Soul City - working principles- working principles

Edutainment as strategic focusEdutainment as strategic focus On-going since 1994On-going since 1994 BrandedBranded High qualityHigh quality Multi-mediaMulti-media Research-drivenResearch-driven Training and educational componentsTraining and educational components Strategic partnerships (NVAW)Strategic partnerships (NVAW) Community mobilizingCommunity mobilizing Advocacy on several levelsAdvocacy on several levels

Example: Soul City Example: Soul City

HIV/AIDS + Domestic ViolenceHIV/AIDS + Domestic Violence

Which change process do you Which change process do you wish to create/articulatewish to create/articulate??

Individual ChangeIndividual Change Knowledge Skills Attitudes Practices

Social ChangeSocial Change Leadership Degree and Equity

of Participation Information Equity Collective Self-

Efficacy Sense of Ownership Social Cohesion Social Norms

Communication and Development: New Communication and Development: New

Theoretical PerspectivesTheoretical Perspectives Post–DevelopmentPost–Development

* Issues of voice, questioning the dominant discourse of * Issues of voice, questioning the dominant discourse of developmentdevelopment

Radical democracy Radical democracy Framework on democracy and citizenship (Chantal Mouffe – Framework on democracy and citizenship (Chantal Mouffe –

1993/2005)1993/2005)

Cultural StudiesCultural Studies Audience Reception Analysis and Sense–Making processes Audience Reception Analysis and Sense–Making processes Telenovelas, storytelling – understanding potential of soap operasTelenovelas, storytelling – understanding potential of soap operas

Dialogic Communication and liberating pedagogyDialogic Communication and liberating pedagogy (Paulo Freire (Paulo Freire 1967)1967)

Voice and public discourseVoice and public discourse Theory of public sphere (Habermas/Thompson/Rosa Maria Alfaro)Theory of public sphere (Habermas/Thompson/Rosa Maria Alfaro) Discourse AnalysisDiscourse Analysis

Contemporary Themes in theContemporary Themes in theComDev Debate ComDev Debate

Development paradigms – increased focus Development paradigms – increased focus on citizens, participation, agencyon citizens, participation, agency

Role of popular culture, narrative and Role of popular culture, narrative and identity formationidentity formation

Power issues and (mediated)public spherePower issues and (mediated)public sphere Social movements, TANsSocial movements, TANs New mediaNew media

Edutainment 1st Generation 2nd Generation 3rd Generation

Definition of the problem

Lack of information Lack of information and skills

Structural inequalityPower relationsSocial conflict

Notion of culture Culture as obstacle Culture as ally Culture as ’way of life’

Notion of catalyist External change agent External catalyst in partnership with the community

Internal community member

Notion of education Banking pedagogy Life skillsDidactics

Liberating pedagogy

Notion of audience SegmentsTarget groupsPassive

ParticipatoryTarget groupsActive

CitizensActive

What are you communicating

Messages Messages and situations

Social issues and problems

Notion of change Individual behaviourSocial Norms

Individual BehaviourSocial NormsStructural Conditions

Individual BehaviourSocial NormsPower relationsStructural Conditions

Expected outcome Changs of norms and individual behaviour

Numerical results

Changs of norms and individual behaviour

Public and Private Debate

Articulation of political and social processes

Structural ChangeCollective Action

Duration of activity Short Term Short and Middle term Mid- and Long term

Diffusion model

Definition of communication: information transfer - verticalDefinition of development communication: information

dissemination via mass media

Problem: lack of information Solution: information transfer: Knowledge Attitudes

Practice Goal: outcome oriented: behavior change

Frameworks: Types of interventionsModernization Social marketingDiffusion of innovations Entertainment-

education

Participatory model

Definition of communication: information exchange/dialogue - horizontal

Definition of development communication: grassroots participation via group interaction

Problem: structural inequalities/local knowledge ignored Solution: information exchange/ participation Goal: process-oriented: empowerment, equity,

community

Frameworks: Types of interventionsSocial change/praxis (Freire) Empowerment educationSocial mobilization/activism Participatory Action

ResearchRapid Participatory

AppraisalCommunity Involm. in

Health

Communication for Social Communication for Social ChangeChangeDefinition Definition

CFSC is a process of public and private CFSC is a process of public and private dialogue through which people dialogue through which people

themselves define who they are, what themselves define who they are, what they need and how to get what they they need and how to get what they need in order to improve their own need in order to improve their own

lives. It utilizes dialogue that leads to lives. It utilizes dialogue that leads to collective problem identification, collective problem identification,

decision making and community-based decision making and community-based implementation of solutions to implementation of solutions to

development issuesdevelopment issues (Ref: www.communicationforsocialchange) (Ref: www.communicationforsocialchange)