Politics, communication and development in South Africa: methodology and mediations in a period of transformation

Abstract

While much progress has been made in transforming the institutional framework of electronic broadcasting in South Africa, there has been little research and theoretical elaboration on the role of communication for development. This article seeks to evaluate some existing work on ‘development support communication’ in South Africa, and contribute to our understanding of the ‘interface’ between the institutional imperatives driving development initiatives, and the real world of ‘subjects’ whose lives are to be transformed by development. The central argument is thus that it is not good enough to simply think of more sophisticated mechanisms of information provision for development. Knowledge itself is rooted in the symbolic and practical realities of everyday life. Drawing on focus group research in KwaZulu-Natal, the author suggests a closer analysis of the mediations (e.g. age, gender and economic status) framing information and knowledge is required, and that civil society organizations should be more cl...