Dynamics of facilitative communication in enhancing peoples participation: a case study in a Filipino village

Date

1993

Abstract

Contextualizing communication in the perspective and life experience of common man, by finding the relationship between facilitative communication and people's participation is the motif of this study.Communication can either be 'imposing' or 'involving'. In the former case communication is used as a tool of enforcement while in the latter case it becomes 'facilitative'. This study examined the communication components of two approaches employed in implementing a reforestation project at barangay Timugan in Magnetic Hills,Mt. Makiling.Efforts by one of the sectors of the UPLB to implement the reforestation project started in 1991. By the completion of the third year, only 11 hectares were reforested out of the target area of 60 hectares due to lack of people's participation. In the mean time, Laguna Development center, an NGO and Makiling Task Force contacted the same to try to convince them of the need of the project. By way of a dialogue the people came out with a new design to implement the same project. The problem of this study therefore was to probe the following question: Can communication facilitate peoples' participation and if it does, more facilitative communication results in more participation.Grounded theory, personal construct theory andcommunication constitute the theoretical framework, which emphasizes the necessity ofdialogical interaction between the communicating parties in order that their different constructs might converge on the consensus essential for further action. That the hypothesis must be grounded on the data is very much insisted, upon. The conceptual framework presents the assumed relationship between people's participation and facilitative communication in which the main variables are facilitative purpose, attitude, climate, media and techniques, participation in decision making, involvement by local people on voluntary basis and participation for empowerment. This study used six methods, namely non-participant observation, in-depth interview, documentary analysis, repertory grid technique and two structured questionnaires to gather data. Triangulation of all the collected data was the principal method of analysis, which was carried out in three phases.The main findings of this study center on the meaning of facilitative communication and its characteristics as perceived by community organizers as well as the emergence of the hypothesis - 'Facilitative communication enhances people's participation' - out of the data collected by three qualitative methods and its eventualtesting. The study found that facilitative climate, attitude and purpose are the significant determinants of facilitative communication. Participation in decision making by local people and participation for empowerment were the important factors of participation. Findings further asserted that facilitative communication enhanced people's participation in this project.This study is intended to help those who implement projects, work for people's upliftment, study and do research on rural development, and design policies for bringing about development

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree

Master of Development Communication

Language

English

LC Subject

Communication

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 995 1993 D46 A78

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