Folk Media Research Articles

Decolonising research and folk media: a methodology for Exploring narratives of HIV and AIDS in rural Malawi

ABSTRACT Background In Malawi, well-meaning HIV and AIDS interventions imagined in the “Global North” continue to ignore how local people construct the world. This paper explores how folk media can be used to enable research on HIV and AIDS to be positioned within localised cultural paradigms. Methods Drawing on Chewa epistemology, I used folk media methods supported by participant observation. The research was conducted in three phases over 15 days in two rural communities and captured the workshop processes, participants’ process reviews, verbal journals and creative outputs through pictures, audio and video recordings, field notes and reflections. Data was analysed thematically. Finding Folk media can be used to structure research, to facilitate a conducive environment for research practice, as data and as a method for the generation of data/knowledge. Conclusions Folk media can be a strong, replicable, culturally grounded, decolonizing research methodology that promotes collaboration and the deconstruction of power relations.

FOSTERING DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE: THE ROLE OF FOLK MEDIA AND LITERATURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Folk media and literature have immense potential to contribute to the development process in the current world, especially in preserving cultural values, education, and the power of people. This paper aims to expand and discuss the traditional forms of media and their relevance within the culture and modern society and their relevance in the contemporary world especially within the digital realm. Thus, as part of this research, the results of a literature review, surveys, interviews, and case studies are used to evaluate how these traditional forms of expression have become part of digital media for the enhancement of socio-economic development. The study used a survey of 200 respondents from different areas of Andhra Pradesh State in India plus interviews with various stakeholders from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvathipuram Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitaram Raju, and Anakapalli districts. The findings highlight the dual benefits of digital transformation: expanding the accessibility of folk media and literature, as well as promoting cultural continuity and emergency capacity in related communities. The research findings from the case studies of Andhra Pradesh concerning digital storytelling, online archiving, and social networking site trailblazers indicate the effective strategies of share-simple and community engagement on one side and cultural heritage on the other side. The findings of the study show that adversaries of folk media not only expand their audience but also facilitate cultural participation by the communities. This research therefore emphasizes the need for collective responsibility to ensure that all cultures are preserved and facilitated through the digital transition to avoid a technological divide.

Radio Broadcasting and the Adaptation of Folk Media in Cultural Promotion at Select Stations of North Central, Nigeria

Purpose: This study aims to explore the utilization of folk media in Nigeria for radio broadcasting and cultural advocacy, focusing on preserving and advancing cultural heritage in Northcentral Nigeria.
 Methodology: Employing the Uses and Gratification Theory as a framework, the research utilized a mixed-method approach to gather data.
 Findings: The findings of the study highlight the importance of enhancing strategies to capture and sustain listener interest in folk media programmes. Incorporating interactive elements, storytelling techniques, or other methods to improve audience engagement is recommended to increase audience interest.
 Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: The study suggests that with the advancement of technology and the popularity of radio broadcasting, there is a need to explore the adaptation of folk media to this medium. This adaptation could ensure the longevity of folk media and reach wider audiences. Additionally, the study underscores the significance of utilizing folk media for cultural advocacy and recommends efforts to enhance strategies for promoting and preserving cultural heritage through radio broadcasting.

Folk Media: Preserving Cultural Narratives in the Modern Era

Folk Media: Preserving Cultural Narratives in the Modern Era

Consumption Pattern of Information and Communication Technology in Agriculture: A Study of Jaipur District

The study was conducted in Girdharipura and Mehla villages of Jaipur district of Rajasthan. The study analyzes how ICT is used for agricultural information in rural regions and evaluates the information and relationship between various ICT tools and farmers. In this research, we used a sample size of 100 farmers with a random selection of 50 farmers from Mehla village and 50 farmers from Girdharipura village, all between the age group of 20 and 55 from June 2021 to December 2021. ICT holds huge potential in the dissemination of agriculture-related information to rural masses for their capacity building. Thus, ICT is rightly hailed as a potentially useful tool for agricultural reforms. Farmers often engage in numerous forms of media consumption and do not limit themselves to a single one. This study suggests that farmers engage in various media consumption such as electronic media, folk media & print media, and ICT tools for agriculture purposes, and weather information. Mehla village was using more electronic media than Girdharipura.

Understanding the Function of Folk Media as Popular Culture During the Indian Liberation Fights

Folk media refers to traditional means of information and message dissemination through demonstration of native songs, dance, plays, stories, myths or symbols in a visually appealing and entertaining manner performed in front of local audience aware of the context and the background of performance art. The outreach of modern media was severely limited in pre-independence era with limited and exclusive access to print and electronic media. However, the folk media was ingrained deep into the local culture like a bestowed legacy passed from one generation to next. Local plays (Natak Mandali) were a hot-spot for deliberation and diffusion of ideologies popularising need for armed-struggle or subtle non-cooperation. Songs of valour and courage were sung and dramatised on stage in a hope that people develop resistance and defiance against the ruling monarch. Bahurupiya (Master of disguise) was one of the most ancient folk media practice prevalent during British era and is even practiced in modern times. They (Bahuripyas) were skilled in art of mimicry and imitation and this practice was used by the legendry freedom fighter Azaad. His comrade Bhagat Singh was known to mobilise people through stage and role plays where the bravery of native warriors was praised and celebrated through patriotic poetry and songs. Gandhi took a local folk symbol Charkha and established it as epitome of boycott and non- cooperation and a beacon of self-reliance in an attempt to reduce the country’s economic burden. Historical evidences suggest that such events were quite popular means to mingle with people and prepare them to revolt or disturb the ruling regime. It also helped in development of new materials of resistance through a sort of cascading effect. This study makes an attempt, through extensive literature survey and anecdotal evidence, to investigate the role of folk media during freedom struggle with particular focus on plays/drama, bhajan/kirtan and native symbols centered on the Bengal province (Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal) and how it helped in restoring the native pride and eventually preparing them to stand up and fight against the English.

Exploring the Role of Folk Media in Changing the Social Behavior of Urban People: An Exploratory Study in Lahore

This study is an attempt to provide comprehensive information and explore the significance of the role of folk media as a significant tool towards achieving Folk Media in Changing the Social Behavior of Urban People. The methodology adopted is qualitative by conducting interviews of prominent people working in the field of media and communication to explore the significant role of media in the current era. Traditional folk media forms have a peculiar charm as they are familiar to the public hearts and souls.

Folk Media and Social Development: A Study on Bhaona and Chhau Performing Arts

With a major share of the world’s population residing in developing countries and about 70% of it residing in rural areas, mass media always had a wide scope to participate in and enhance social development and welfare programs. However high rate of illiteracy, poverty and limited access to mass media, etc. have posed a big challenge for mass media to permeate through lower strata of the society. Numerous studies reveal that these media do not have the necessary influence in terms of inspiring change and development.However, folk media has demonstrated its superiority in forging ties and fostering affinities in the communities as evident from studies done across the globe.
 In this study we have aimed at studying the impact of two performing art styles- Bhaona and Chhau on social development. The ritualistic theatrical performances- Bhaona and Chhau, both having roots in Indian Mythology and folklore are integral part of the social construct of the Assamese and tribal communities of West Bengal and Odisha respectively. This study attempts to explore the cultural facets of the Bhaonaand Chhau through a variety of aesthetic fields. And further analyse how these folk media disciplines helped shape the societies in the past and how they may be preserved and applied to help a specific region grow in the future.

Effectiveness and Suitability of Traditional Folk Media for Agriculture among different Ethnic Groups in Dhemaji District of Assam

Traditional Folk media holds a true position in the fi eld of media communications because of its uniqueness and practical existence. The present study was undertaken with an aim to assess the eff ectiveness and suitability of the existed folk media for agriculture among four diff erent ethnic groups in Dhemaji district of Assam. A descriptive research design was followed for the study taking 100 respondents belonging to the ethnic groups of Ahoms, Mising, Deoris and Sonowal kacharis. The data was collected by personal interview technique following an interview schedule that included both structured and open-ended questions. The fi ndings of the study reveal that majority of the respondents found folk songs, folk dances, proverbs, festivals, traditional fairs eff ective and suitable for agricultural communication. The fi ndings of the study will be a great potential in the fi eld of communication research as well as for planning and dissemination of need-based information among rural families for agricultural and rural development.

Analysis of Communication through Traditional Folk Media for Rural Development in Rajasthan

Analysis of Communication through Traditional Folk Media for Rural Development in Rajasthan

Folk media: Existence, forms, uses and challenges in Mende indigenous communities of Southern Sierra Leone

The study examined the folk media: existence, forms, uses and challenges in the Mende indigenous communities of Southern Sierra Leone. A mixed methods research design of 120 participants was developed, selected from 3 communities with 40 participants in each community. The mixed approach used both quantitative and qualitative research designs in the study. The interviews were initially conducted using interview questions related to the existence of folk media, its use and the challenges it faced in the study area. Three focus group discussions were held in 3 communities, randomly selected on the outskirts of the Southern part of Sierra Leone. A quantitative research approach helped analyse simple statistical data collected by the researchers. The findings revealed that folk media exist in the Mende communities studied; and that the use of Mende folk media is fraught with major challenges. The findings also revealed that the use of Mende folk media is rare in indigenous Mende communities which is a major challenge in preserving the practices and their uses in the selected communities. The findings also showed that Mende folk media play an important role in disseminating social, religious, and cultural information, including being used in ceremonies such, as litigation, court hearings, singing and storytelling sessions, naming, weddings and political campaigns, and funerals. The findings also revealed that traditional Mende media are mainly used by the nominees of Paramount Chiefs, the community griots, the heads of the tribal and secret societies and volunteers.

Analysis of Communication through Traditional Folk Media for Rural Development in Rajasthan

Analysis of Communication through Traditional Folk Media for Rural Development in Rajasthan

Application of Artificial Intelligence Technology in the Teaching of Complex Situations of Folk Music under the Vision of New Media Art

Enhancement in information technology has made the online teaching-learning process easier. However, this process is still a challenging task for teaching courses of theoretical type, music, dance, and arts. For the classes of these types, the traditional system of teaching and learning is well suited, but, in particularly complex situations, accomplishing the task is highly difficult. Hence, new media art technology is introduced to overcome the difficulties. In this research, Chinese folk music is taught online with the aid of new media art with the support of artificial intelligence. The analysis of the proposed work is carried out on the folk music dataset, which considers folk music of ethnic minority groups. A novel Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (L-BFGS) art algorithm is implemented to perform the analysis. The performance is compared with the existing gradient descent, Adam, and AdaDelta algorithms. L-BFGS algorithm is essentially a particular recipe for designing and possibly executing an artwork, including algorithms, functions, facial expression, and other input that ultimately decides the structure the folk music and media art would then take. This contribution could be numerical, information processing, or formative. From the obtained results, it can be shown that the proposed system has provided 97% and 98% of accuracy on training and testing data, which is higher when compared to the existing algorithms.

FOSTERING NIGERIA SECURITY: THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT (TFD) AS TOOL

Nigeria as a sovereign state is currently passing through security challenges such that no one is sure which part of the nation is safe. Issues of unwarranted killings, insurgency, raping, domestic violence, kidnapping, armed banditry, broad day light robbery, cultism, human trafficking drug addiction, thuggery and so on which make our environment unsafe are common sights in Nigeria today. These crimes are at an alarming rate to the extent that they pose sleepless nights to most communities, government and other relevant authorities in Nigeria. While the government is making concerted efforts in tackling the menace of militant and terrorist groups like the dreaded Boko Haram jihadist, Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) among others, the incessant herders versus farmers clashes, coupled with inter ethnic conflicts, are threatening the fragile peace of the nation. It is against this backdrop that this paper explores Theatre for Development (TfD) as an avenue for fostering security in the Nigeria state. Theatre for development (TfD) is a genre of theatrical exegesis that stresses development communication for the purpose of enlightenment through participation and critical consciousness for transformation. Theatre for Development (TfD) employs advocacy, dialogue and folk media in preparation, action plan as well as mobilization for transformational education. These are done using research, analysis and dramatization. This paper shall interrogate the causes of security challenges such as unemployment, poverty, crime, drug abuse, to mention just a few. It will also examine the effects and how they can be addressed with the aid of Theatre for Development (TfD). The paper recommends among others that communication and dialogue remain the best forms of instrument for conflict resolution in a nation bedeviled with security challenges.

Electronic-Waste (E-Waste) Management and Minimization Practices: A Case Study of Dehradun District (Western Himalayan Region), Uttarakhand, India

The unprecedented generation of e-waste is a serious concern, which has become a critical environmental challenge across the world as well as considered as an emerging issue by policy makers, practitioners and researchers. The present paper deals with the case study conducted in four development blocks of Dehradun state (Doiwala, Sahaspur, Raipur and Vikasnagar) in Western Himalayan region from September 2020 to December 2021. We highlight standardized questionnaire based strategy including interviews of key stakeholders (Village head representatives, Education department, Development block officers, Representatives from Municipalities and Pollution Control Board) to evaluate present status of e-waste generation and awareness among communities. The results from the survey revealed that communities have low awareness level about e-waste management rules and regulations, its impact on environment and human health and formal and informal e-waste recycling processes. Besides, we organized training program to various stakeholders for making and repairing of LED bulbs, tube lights and creation of decorative sticks and bamboo carved lamps with respect to e-waste minimization and handling, which has resulted in providing a livelihood opportunity to the community. Folk media workshops (Short film, rap song, posters, leaflets, standees, puppet plays, street shows) were also organized together with launching of “EKU” (E-Waste Management and Minimization) campaign to spread awareness about systematic scientific management of E-waste in a simple and local language. Various e-waste minimization centers were established in Dehradun district on the basis of community recommendations. The study recommends that e-waste management, mitigation and recycling can be accelerated by promoting community awareness campaign, educating them about the benefits of scientific recycling of e-waste and making e-waste recycling as part of their livelihood source.

AYUSHMAN BHARAT - PMJAY

A pre-experimental study to assess effectiveness of folk media on the knowledge and perception regarding Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY among selected population of U.P. was conducted with the objective to assess the effectiveness of folk media on the knowledge and perception regarding Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY among selected population of U.P. Pre experimental research design was adopted and non-probability convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. A structured questionnaire of 25 questions and perception likert scale of 10 items was prepared to assess the knowledge and perception of population regarding Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY. A structured knowledge questionnaire and structured perception scale on Ayushman Bharat -PMJAY (pre-test) was administered to the group, followed by administration of folk media on the Day-1. Then on Day-7, post-test was conducted. Data obtained were analyzed and interpreted by using both descriptive and inferential statistics in terms of frequency, percentages, mean, and S.D. score. Findings showed that: majority of population i.e. 47 (78.33%) were having good knowledge whereas 12 of these samples (20%) were having excellent knowledge and 1 of these samples were having poor knowledge. It was evident from the results that the mean post-test knowledge and practice score were more than mean pre-test scores. Findings showed that folk media was effective to gain knowledge and favorable perception regarding Ayushman Bharat -PMJAY. majority of samples i.e. 48 (40%) were having favorable perception and only 12(60%) samples were having neutral perception. The calculated Z value (2.10) for knowledge and the calculated Z value (4.06) for perception is greater than the tabulated Z value (1.645) at 0.05 level of significance at (df =59) which concluded that the Folk Media was effective in improving the knowledge and perception towards Ayushman Bharat -PMJAY among selected population of U.P.Chi square test was done showed that there was significant association between the mean post-test knowledge score with selected demographic variables. It was also showed that there was a significant association between the mean post-test perception score with selected demographic variables. The Karl Pearson coefficient of correlation was computed (r = 0.19) which indicate no relationship between the knowledge post-test scores and perception post-test scores regarding Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY among selected population of U.P.

Use of Traditional Forms of Communication for Honey Gathering in Rural Sri Lanka

The different forms of traditional communication are used in honey gathering at the local and international levels. Therefore, the main purpose of the study is to examine the use of traditional forms of communication in traditional honey gathering in Sri Lanka. Development communication is the main conceptual and theoretical framework of the study. The geographical location is Anuradhapura district, North Central Province in Sri Lanka. The study used a qualitative approach to obtain data using the in-depth interview method. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results show that, the different traditional forms of communication such as natural smokes, Kem Krama (kind of ritual treatments), rite and rituals, folk tales, folk poems, folk ceremonies etc. are used to reach the honey hive and inactivate the bees without killing or harming, to cut honey combs and to collect honey carefully and cautiously. The most important thing is that the responsible authorizes should also take necessary actions to empower traditional honey collectors to maintain the traditional honey gathering. Combing traditional folk communications and modern techniques, safety measures and educating honey collectors to avoid the potential risks are some of the solutions to increase the honey harvest as well as to empower the honey collectors who engage in this profession.
 Keywords: Traditional forms of communication; Folk media; honey gathering; rural; Sri Lanka

Symbiosis of the Creative and the Developmental: Assessing Community Participation in the 2021 Odolu Theatre for Development (TFD) Project

Community participation is a major propeller in Theatre for Development (TFD) processes. This is given that TFD employs a collective approach to community problem identification, analysis of root causes, and creative formation of findings into performance skits to initiate discussion and social action using participatory drama. The performance aspect of TFD exercises is thus pivotal to the entire process and as such, community participation at this aspect is a catalyst for other aspects. This paper assesses community participation in the performance stage of the 2021 Odolu TFD project and examines its implication on the post-performance stage. Using both qualitative and quantitative designs, data is collected from Participant Observation, Key Informant Interview, and Focus Group Discussions and presented with the use of clustered bar charts, pie charts, and a line graph. Using Simple percentage, findings show that community participation in the performance aspect declined by 84% as the process progressed. Among other reasons, the decline is chiefly as a result of modifications in drama storylines, conflict with domestic activities, indisposition of community members, and inadequate use of folk media. The paper submits that there is a need for TFD practitioners to design strategies that enhance community participation as peculiar to respective communities and re-echoes the significance of harnessing available folk media towards desired results. Keywords: Community, Participation, Theatre, Development, Theatre for Development DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-22-07 Publication date: November 30 th 2021

The Role and Relevance of Traditional Folk Media in a Society

The Role and Relevance of Traditional Folk Media in a Society

Bad Cholesterol Build-Up: Traditional Channel as Viable Alternative for Health Communication in Rural Areas

The increasing occurrence of cardiovascular illness usually associated with bad cholesterol build up in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, the study x-rayed the issue of bad cholesterol build up viz a viz traditional channel of communication as the most effective option for carrying out sensitization campaigns about possible ways to curb it health implications. The study was a conceptual study which is based on literature review and built into it; Understanding Bad Cholesterol Build Up, The Place of Rural Dwellers in Health Communication and Behaviour Change Campaigns, Exploring the African Traditional Media: Effective platform for Rural Health Communication and Behaviour Change and Advantages of Folk Media as useful channel for Disseminating Messages on the Dangers of Bad Cholesterol. Based on the literature review, the study concludes that sadly, irrespective of the effectiveness of folk media in changing negative social health behaviours in rural Africa, it has not been recognized in most Western literature as a very efficient means of reaching the rural communities with messages that will help them get informed, aware and knowledgeable about hazardous health challenges like bad cholesterol build-up.