Career in Development Communication

As the aid and development industry grows and expands, the degrees in ‘development studies’ have increased. Development Communication today has become a medium which mobilizes and educates the masses to make dynamic and intelligent contributions in development activities with utmost efforts.

Development Communication is further defined in communication studies as a deliberate effort to improve control over resources and regulatory organizations. It normally includes educating masses about their socio-economic environment, building self-reliance based on solidarity support and sharing, involvement of people in discussions and decision making, inspiring people to gain an aptitude to handle conflicts and to build consensus.

It has grown in popularity as a subject of study since the early 1990s, and has been most widely taught and researched in the third world and in countries with a colonial history, such as the UK, where development studies originated. Students of development studies often choose careers in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) bodies and research centers, international organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, private sector development consultancy firms, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

Scope and Areas of Work

In Development Communication, importance of communication in the field of development is duly emphasized. Within the framework of development communication, two trends have developed successively over the years: First an approach that favored large-scale actions and relied on the mass media, and Second approach that endorsed grassroots communication (also called community communication), promoting small-scale projects and relying heavily on media (slide presentation, posters, videos, radio etc.).

Development communication is an extraordinarily broad field. It covers a extensive range of issues, from the conventional themes of health and public awareness, agriculture, to newer areas such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), governance, youth, urban development, and so on. 

Communication uses a wide range of approaches, from "social marketing" (which emphasize on advertising and marketing to promote development goals) to participatory approaches that work with local people and help them communicate their opinions and needs to others. It includes advocacy and lobbying, highly targeted campaigns and mass marketing. Determining the right audience is a very important part of a successful communication intervention, as communication serves a variety of audiences: teachers, villagers, farmers, herders, prostitutes, students, policy makers, women, scientists, extension workers, unemployed youths, health workers, suicidal teenagers, ethnic minorities, small entrepreneurs, government officials, donors etc.

 Communication also employs many diverse types of media: such as television, radio and the press, emails and websites, interpersonal media such as face-to-face contact, training courses, meetings, posters, flyers and handouts.

The question that now arises is what can you do with a degree in Developmental studies?

You can work with:

•  Non-governmental organizations by organizing campaigns, lobbying, development education and raising funds.
•   International development institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations. 
•  Government policy: here you can work in the public service at all levels right from developing strategies and agenda concerning development and aid.
•   Consultancy: You can work as a ‘consultant’ for diverse organizations on a variety of projects.
•  Another option is that of securing scholarships, to enroll in the development studies courses offered in India as well as overseas.
•  There are many scholarships that support development studies like the Commonwealth scholarships, Rhodes and British Chevening scholarship. 

Dr. Ritu Sood

Associate Professor

Dept. of Communication Studies