Rural communities in developing countries : the prospects of communication

Abstract

This essay analyzes the situation of peasant communities in developing countries, arguing that their marginalization is not accidental but the result of social structures dominated by urban minorities. It critically examines agrarian reform, technological modernization (including the Green Revolution), and integrated rural development as insufficient remedies in the face of power concentration. It challenges media stereotypes regarding the peasantry and evaluates the limited role of private and commercial mass media in rural development. Finally, it reviews rural development communication experiences—agricultural extension, radio, radio forums, radio schools, and community video experiments in Peru and Uruguay—highlighting the importance of horizontal and participatory communication as opposed to traditional top-down models