Effect of Traditional Communication in Mobilizing People of Ughelli North Local Area of Delta State in Community Development
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The following are the objectives of this study:
- To find out if traditional communication can be used as an effective tool for grassroots mobilization and development;
- To identify trado-media tools for grassroots mobilization and development;
- To determine if traditional media can be strategically used to reach the rural populace;
- To ascertain the possible hindrances to effective utilization of traditional media; and
- To determine the policies/projects that can be implemented to boost the use of trado-media in the Ughelli North Local Area Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
It is imperative in any research study, to review relevant and related materials of other authors, as this will help to enrich and strengthen the substance or content of the study. Among the key issues that will be reviewed here, include: Communication in general; Traditional Communication; and Public relations.
Conceptual Overview of Communication
The concept, “communication” is central to all forms of human interactions-cum- endeavours. It is a two-way interactive process, between the sender and receiver which involves the sharing of ideas and experiences (Nwodu, 2007;38). According to Oso (2002:198), communication is an important resource of any social organization. This is true given that communication, irrespective of the level or setting carries with it meaningful messages that could lead to healthy exchange of ideas, knowledge, feedings, experience and other factual information (Nwodu, 2007:38).
Communication relates to exchange of facts, opinions or emotions by two or more persons and in organization, it could be words, letters, symbols or messages, in a way that one organization member shares meaning and understanding with another (Akpala, 1990). Koontz and O’ Donell (1968) agree that communication is a transfer of information from one person to another but only if the information is understandable by the receiver.
Communication maintains and animates life. It is also the motor and expression of social activity and civilization, it leads people and peoples from instinct to inspiration, through unregulated process and system of enquiry, command and control (Umueri and Galadima, 2008; 40). Communication creates a common pool of ideas,
strengthens the feeling of togetherness through exchange of messages and translates thought into action. It integrates knowledge, organization and power and runs as a thread linking the earliest memory of man to his noblest aspiration through constant striving for a better life (Umueri and Galadima, 2008;40).
The importance of communication in organization is expressed in the saying that a manager can make good decisions, think out well conceived plan, establish a sound organization structure and even be well liked by his associates because he appreciates the social system of the organization, but if he cannot communicate or give orders properly, as some call it, all these will fail the organization’s achievement of its objectives (Massie and Douglas, 1972).
Communication is an activity that one as a manager will have to do a lot of indeed, one study found that 81% of a manager’s time in a typical work day is spent on communicating (Kiricki and Williams, 2003).
The fact that managers do a lot of communicating does not mean they do it well or that they are necessarily good at it- that is, that they ate efficient or effective. You can transmit your message accurately in the least time. You are an Effective communicator when your intended message is accurately understood by the other person. Thus, you may well be efficient in sending a group of people a reprimand by e-mail. But it may not be effective if it makes them angry so that they can’t absorb its meaning.
From the above analogy, the can see why it is important to have an understanding of the communication process.
Traditional Communication
There is often a certain degree of semantic and conceptual confusion and misapprehension surrounding what constitutes traditional communication, arising from the use of ‘traditional’ as a qualifier in discussing communication systems generally. The general notion or implication, also arising from this confusion and misapprehension, is often that of outdated or perhaps primitive systems of communication which still have surviving relies in most Third World countries. This same view often envisages traditional systems as being mutually antagonistic to what is generally known as modern systems of communication. But the truth is that although the systems may be old and different, in their principles, from the new systems introduced from abroad, they remain what essentially sustain the information needs of the rural which represent over 70% of the national populations of most Third World states.
The underlying fallacies behind such thinking are based on certain assumptions regarding what is traditional and what is modern. The basic assumption here as Gusfield (1973:333) has pointed out is that of seeing ‘existing institutions’ and values, the content of traditional ‘as impediments to changes’ and obstacles to modernization’. Other related and rather fanciful theories include the view that old traditions are usually displaced by new changes, and that traditional and modern forms of a culture are always in conflict Although scholars on both sides of the opinion divide often sound as if tradition and modernity were mutually exclusive in content, there is very little to bear them out as practical support for such extreme views. It is important to note that in social contexts, conflicts often arise not necessarily because one form is old and the other new, but because human beings usually resist change of any sort.
The truth is that there will always be social conflicts irrespective of the chronological age of the concepts involved. It is therefore the view of this paper that what constitutes traditional communication is not necessarily a matter of ‘age’, civilization or ‘technology’, conflicting with change, but rather a system which can be viewed within a communication continuum of the type suggested by Ray Browne and reported by Michael Rael (1977). Browne refers to this continuum as the Cultural Lens’ where culture is viewed from a focal perspective which delineates four spectrums: folk, elite, popular and mass. Browne’s categorization is faulty and restrictive from the point of view of a sense of distance created by the ‘lens’. It is perhaps more rewarding to view this traditional/modern communication dichotomy from the point of view of a series of concentric circles with the folk (or traditional) communication occupying the innermost circle and mass communication the outermost circle.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
In carrying out this research, the researcher employed descriptive research procedure. This procedure was used because descriptive research gives a picture of a situation and it serves as a basis for most researches in assessing the situation as a prerequisite for drawing conclusion. Descriptive research also involves collecting data in order to test hypotheses or ensure questions covering the study (Ikeagwu, 1998, Akuezuilo and Agu, 2007). The method applied in this research is the survey method. This method made use of primary and secondary data to elicit the necessary information required for this research.
Sources of Data
The data for this study were generated from two main sources; Primary sources and secondary sources. The primary sources include questionnaire, interviews and observation. The secondary sources include journals, bulletins, textbooks and the internet.
Population of the study
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Udoyen, 2019). In this study the study population constitute of the employees of television stations, on one hand. The second population studied were the consumers of television services, comprising the viewers and advertisers of products. A population of five hundred (500) was taken using judgmental sampling procedure.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
To analyze the data collected, this chapter is divided into two sections, vis: questionnaire administration and test of hypotheses. The study sought to determine the Effect of traditional communication in mobilizing people of Ughelli North Local Area of Delta State in community development
PRESENTATION OF DATA
Data collected in the course of this study is presented descriptively using frequency tables, percentages and charts. A total of 222 copies of questionnaire were distributed while only 175 were recovered for analysis
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The various data gathered have been presented and analyzed in chapter four. This chapter therefore, will discuss issues generated from the analysis and make recommendations accordingly.
Summary of Findings
The findings of this study revealed that in the Ughelli North Local Government Area;
- traditional communicationcan be used for effective community development ;
- There are traditional communicationtools for community development;
- traditional communicationcan be strategically used to reach the rural populace;
- There are significant hindrances to effective utilization of traditional communicationmedia; and
- There are particular policies/projects that boost the use of traditional communicationmedia.
Conclusion
Any message designed for the rural populace that does not share the same frame of reference with the majority of the masses that constitute the target audience before, and for whom the messages are meant, will surely not meet the objective of the project/program as such gesture will amount to exercise in futility. This is because most government and development agencies carry out their projects or programmes at the rural areas with the belief that they understand the villagers very well to be poor and therefore, have no choice, that whatever they (villagers) are given is acceptable by them.
Lack of education or improper sensitization programmes hinder the full and better appreciation of most government and development agencies’ plans/programmes/projects by the rural dwellers thereby making them ignorant, apathetic, hostile and prejudiced towards any development project that is destined for them.
Continuous preference and dominance of modern communication over traditional communication will adversely affect our traditional and cultural system, as this will gradually and surely erode our traditional values, norms and cultural heritage. Thus, for effective grassroots mobilization and development, traditional communication or tradomedia is very critical.
Recommendations
- Messages and programmes/projects targeted at the rural populace should be well designed in line with the wishes and aspirations of the rural populace through adequate and thorough research on their needs.
- There should be adequate and proper education and sensitization programmes aimed at bringing to the ruralites’ awareness the gains of development projects, and this should be done through the best and most relevant traditional media
- There should be proper funding of traditional media of communication, as this will help to preserve our values, norms and heritage.
- There should be involvement of traditionally inclined persons (e.g members of a particular rural area a project is to be executed; chieftaincy Title Holders, rural-based youths and market women, rural- based clergy men/women, rural based government/development officers) so as to ensure and enhance easy relationship which can only be guaranteed through goodwill, better understanding and co-operation.
- In as much as modern communication promises and assures easy and faster mobilization and development, there should be more emphasis on traditional communicationthan modern communication in times of rural project execution, mobilization, support and development, this is because of the fact that the rural populace have been exposed to it and are so used for it. Again, the traditional communicationcreates a better forum for clarification over certain issues that might seem ambiguous, and this helps to guarantee better understanding and appreciation. At best, an integration of traditional and modern (tradomodern) communication is strongly recommended.
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