Community Participation, Cultural Discourse, and Health Education Projects in Developing Areas: The Case of the Radio Communication Project in Nepal

Abstract

Early entertainment-education programs based on the diffusion of innovation model were relatively unconcerned with community participation. New information and technology in health and agriculture was communicated from one group of elites to another. The indigenous or local elites were the targets for these programs because it was assumed that their education socioeconomic status and other resources made them innovators. When a new concept or product from an industrialized donor was transferred to them they quickly implemented it. Furthermore it was believed that the innovation would diffuse or trickle down to the lower strata of the developing nation and ultimately everyone would benefit. As social scientists documented the limited benefits in developing societies of top-down education programs local and international policy makers called for a more participatory approach. When fully implemented this meant community participation in a health education projects goal formation method of delivery and evaluation. Dutta and Basnyat (in press) provide us with an insightful and comprehensive critique of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) entertainmenteducation program The Radio Communication Program (RCP) in Nepal which has been reported to be highly participatory. Despite the contention that this family planning project was built from the ground up with the full participation of rural Nepalese the authors using a conceptually based critical approach make a convincing case that the entertainment-education project was in reality a oneway hierarchical project primarily generated by national elites and foreign donors. This analysis is derived from the culture-centered approach to participation which assumes that community members and health educators are equal contributors to a project including joint participation in problem definition goal specification intervention development and evaluation. (excerpt)