Conceptual Contributions of New Social Movements to Development Communication Research

Abstract

The field of development communication faces a critical juncture regarding its theoretical and pragmatic relevance due to both internal debates and criticisms, and external restructuring of political, economic, and social systems on a global scale. The internal debates and criticisms indicate, at best, that the field is in some degree of conceptual disarray and, at worst, that it is detrimental to the goals of improving the human condition materially and symbolically. The concomitant external changes to social systems constitute a daunting context that questions the legitimacy and rationale of development efforts while fostering new forms of social change. This article argues that the field must redirect its attention in order to respond to the persistence of substandard living conditions that demonstrate the continued relevance of development efforts in general, specifically by drawing from the findings of scholarship of new social movements, combining them with relevant areas from participatory communication for development research.