AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FUNCTIONS AND IMPACT OF COMMUNICATION ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The problem of community development has recently adopted a fresh approach all across the world. It is expected of the people living in the various communities that they will pool their resources and channel them toward the communities' overall growth. Community development is a process that requires expertise, and one component of its methodology is the belief that communities cannot be assisted unless they themselves agree to the process, which is referred to as community mobilization. In other words, communities cannot be helped unless they are mobilized. This is a process in which community action, either internally or externally promoted, is planned, carried out, and assessed by the community's individuals, groups, and organizations on a participatory and consistent basis to improve health, hygiene, and education level as well as better overall living conditions in the community. Julius Nyerere (2019).

According to Ukaegbu et al (2020), community development projects are evaluated based on the degree to which they are anticipated to contribute to an improvement in the quality of life for a specific population. Participation from members of the community is required at every stage of the implementation of activities geared toward community development. People in the community have had both explicit and implicit goals for community development throughout the course of history, with the overarching goal being to achieve, through concerted effort, a better life for themselves and future generations. Maureen Ngozichukwuka Egenti (2020). At the Ashridge conference held in England in 1954, the term "community development" was defined as a movement with the goal of promoting better living conditions for the entirety of the community through the community's active participation and on the community's own initiative. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), an organ of the United Nations, defined the term "community development" in 1956. Community development is defined as the processes by which the efforts of the people themselves are united with those of governmental authorities, its agencies, and non-governmental organizations to improve the economic, social, and cultural conditions of communities, to integrate these communities into the life of the nation, and to enable them to contribute fully to national progress. This definition was established by the UN in 1956.  Ashok Kumar Community development seeks to empower individuals as well as groups of people by providing these groups with the skills they require in order to bring about change in their respective communities.

According to a statement made by the Committee for Development in the United Kingdom in 2005, community development is defined as a structured intervention that provides communities with greater control over the conditions that affect their lives. Community development has been described as the "life blood" of every nation by a number of different academics. Because of its enormous importance, every nation on earth, whether it is still developing or has already reached a certain level of development, is currently carrying out a series of developmental programs in order to encourage national development. Community Development Programmes is a socioeconomic program that aims to build and reconstruct the rural society. The program's name comes from the phrase "community development." It seeks to do this through incorporating people in various development programs and fostering in them a sense of self-sufficiency and cooperation. In addition to this, it seeks to inspire people to experiment with novel approaches to the improvement of rural society. An improvement in one's quality of life is one of the goals that may be accomplished with the use of this tactic. It is impossible to understate how important it is. The following is a list of some of the areas in which community development programs have been of assistance: The Development of Agriculture: Agriculture is a significant part of the economy of any nation and continues to grow in importance. The growth of agriculture occurs naturally and unavoidably together with the maturation of communities. In order to increase the amount of food that is produced, community development initiatives strive to encourage agricultural extension programs. Health Care Facilities The establishment of health care facilities is yet another benefit brought about by community development programs. Infant mortality and the frequency of epidemics have both decreased as a direct result of increased medical awareness. Community development programs play a significant role in mobilizing and guiding the people towards development, and this is one of the ways in which people are motivated to work for the growth of the nation. It helps in imparting the spirit of community living and oneness into the people of the community, which in turn fosters development. [Issa ,2021] . Nevertheless, there are numerous approaches to community development. Community development can be thought of as a process, and in that sense, it is accountable for the changes that occur in society. Community development is not only a process that results in societal shifts, but also a strategy for achieving those shifts through the collaborative efforts of various members of the community. In addition to this, community development is considered as a program that serves as the foundation upon which the process of change is implemented. Take note that neither the technique nor the process will be of any use if they are not accompanied by the appropriate programming. In conclusion, community development may be thought of in the same vein as a movement, namely one that seeks to eliminate illiteracy, unemployment, and poverty.

In the process of designing community development plans, it is necessary to take into account a number of aspects that contribute to community development. One of these aspects is the need that any community development projects or programs be holistic in character. An exhaustive evaluation of the community's needs need to be carried out using the participatory research approach. This will guarantee that residents of the community take an active role in the project that is aimed at the development of the community. In the second place, in terms of the influence that the project will have on the neighborhood, there must to be a long term vision for the community. It is important to note that just as some elements contribute to the success of community development operations, other ones work to undermine such efforts. The process of ideal community development may be hampered by a number of challenges that must first be overcome. It's possible that having an understanding of the challenge is the first component. Due to the comprehensive nature of an ideal community development project, this process may be hampered by a lack of partnership or a unified vision among the members of the community. In addition, there is a possibility that the process of community development will be hampered by a lack of access to either information or community meetings. The entirety of the community's population should be actively involved in the community development effort and should have access to information that will be beneficial to their growth; failing to do so will render the effort pointless. On the other hand, communication is regarded as having been an essential component in the growth of the community. A significant number of nations around the world have tied their economic growth to the establishment of efficient communication networks(Issa , 2021).

In addition, it is stated that communication is inextricably bound to both the modern mass media and the older established forms of media. The media are in possession of a tool that facilitates communication; hence, it is of the utmost importance for the media to transmit pertinent and important information to the residents of the community at the proper moment. If individuals in a community have access to the information, knowledge, and ideas that are necessary for community development, then those people will actively engage in their own community development. This will have the effect of bringing rural-urban migration to its lowest possible level. Communication is seen as an essential instrument for the growth of rural communities and communities in general, as stated by Ashok Kumar (2019). People living in rural and community settings have a right to receive critical information that can aid in their growth, and this right should not be denied to them. According to the findings of a panel discussion that took place at the Newseum in Washington, District of Columbia, on September 12, it was determined that communication is an essential tool for advocacy and mobilization, and that every government should use this tool for the purpose of mobilization toward development.

According to Ann Bush's research (communication and the Media, 2017), the mass media, also known as the media for big audiences, has the potential to act as a medium for adult education and literacy programs, both of which will contribute to the growth of the community. Communication is essential to people's engagement in community development programs, which is becoming more important as one of the most pressing issues of our day. The entire potential of development programs can only be realized if there is an effective sharing of knowledge, ideas, information, and technology; in addition, populations must be motivated and dedicated to succeed in order for these programs to reach their full potential. Communication is essential in many different aspects to the completion of this activity. For instance, it allows planners to engage with people when creating development programs in order to take into consideration people's needs, attitudes, and traditional knowledge. This is a significant benefit. The project beneficiaries will only be able to take on the role as primary players in successful development programs if communication is established (UNDP Human Development Report, 2021).

According to Issa (2021), community development serves as the foundation for national development; however, this could only be accomplished via the establishment of an efficient communication infrastructure. He makes the observation that "the rural populace suffers from acute low productivity, social and economic retrogression, lack of access to developmental knowledge and ideas due mainly to ignorance"; this ignorance is the direct consequence of either inadequate or total lack of communicating necessary information, ideas, and knowledge to the rural populace. He explains that "the rural populace suffers from acute low productivity, social and economic retrogression, lack of access to developmental knowledge and ideas due mainly to ignorance" The use of various communication strategies, activities, and media provides individuals with tremendous tools that enable them to not only experience change but also actively shape it. People have the potential to become more invested in a shared goal if there is a greater flow of information, knowledge, and ideas among all aspects of society. Communication is one of the most important factors that has to be considered for rural and community development to be successful and sustained. In order to accomplish this enormous task, it is reasonable to infer that the various forms of media, including both contemporary and traditional forms of media, should serve as the conduits through which information is disseminated to the people who live in rural areas. Residents of the community will be better able to share new ideas and information with one another, which will, in turn, contribute to their growth as individuals(Issa, 2021). The United Nations (UN) believes that communication is one of the most important factors in community development, and that this is especially true for the development of women. It is believed that communication played an important role in a number of areas, including assisting a women's group in increasing their level of self-determination and broadening the conversation between the sexes about rights, privileges, and responsibilities. In his book "the role of communication in development,," Mabogunje 2018 highlighted the following areas as ways in which communication can be of assistance to people living in rural areas: Malnutrition: In December 1992, the International Conference on Nutrition determined that 780 million people around the world, most of whom lived in rural areas, suffered from chronic malnutrition.

Therefore, the  incorporation of nutritional concerns into development policies is of utmost importance at the level of the planners.

Communication between local communities and national planners and policy makers needs to take on increased significance if this social ill is going to be eliminated. The people who live in rural areas need to be exposed to new information and taught new skills in order to improve their standard of life. Population growth: An excessive number of people living in rural regions is putting a strain not only on the natural resources but also on the capacity of the government to deliver essential services. The rate of population increase is mostly determined by the decisions that individuals make. Communication plays an important role in both community and national development by increasing people's awareness of the implications of family size and unwanted pregnancy and providing information on how to engage in family planning. This helps people make more choices, and those choices are more informed.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The provision of residents of a community with the essential and adequate information, ideas, skills, and knowledge that will foster their development is the primary objective of community development. This will enable the residents to become more empowered in their own development. It is only possible to achieve development if the people living in rural areas are provided with sufficient information regarding the development process (Issa, 2021). Community development can be defined as the act of residents or other people who live in a community getting together to discuss and determine their wants and needs, as well as to pool their resources and direct those resources toward meeting those needs. Each year, the provision of pharmaceuticals to general hospitals for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases results in expenditures totaling millions of Naira. It was discovered that the residents of the community do not have an attitude of cleanliness, they live in a dirty environment, and they drink clean water. In addition, the majority of the people who live there are subsistence farmers or small-scale merchants, both of which are poor occupations (Issa, 2021).

Despite the predicament of the people who live in rural areas of Ekiti State, one may wonder how an efficient communication service can contribute to the growth of a community in Lagos State. Effective communication services in rural areas have been shown to foster increased levels of development. The solution lies in the utilization of various forms of media to disseminate new information and skills into the inhabitants of rural communities, the provision of essential amenities such as electricity, the utilization of effective communication to eradicate illiteracy and ignorance, and finally, the mobilization of the residents of the community to participate in activities that will foster their development.  Although communication plays a significant part in the growth of communities, the majority of rural areas in the state of Ekiti do not have access to basic social amenities such as electricity. This is despite the fact that electricity is generally accepted to be the primary source of power supply for information and communication devices such as televisions, digital video displays, and computers. After that, we are confronted with the challenge of determining how information, ideas, and knowledge would be disseminated by the media for the purpose of development when an essential amenity is not available.

1.3   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is to investigate the functions impact of communication on community development.. Specifically the study will:

i.    To examine if provision of opportunities for dialogue and discussion promote community development.

ii.   To ascertain if provision of opportunities for sharing information and ideas contribute to community development.

iii.  To asses the various forms of communication which can be used for effective community development.

iv. To determine whether communication motivates residence of a community to promote community development.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The general aim of this study is to investigate the  functions and  impact of communication on community development. Therefore, the following research questions are formulated.

i.    Will  provision of opportunities for dialogue and discussion promote community development?

ii.   Will  provision of opportunities for sharing information and ideas contribute to community development?

iii.  What are the various forms of communication which can be used for effective community development?

iv. will communication motivates residence of a community to promote community development?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The fundamental objective of this case study is to add to the existing knowledge on the effect of communication on community development.  Therefore, the outcome of this study will be of immense benefit to man power planners, administrators and community development programmes executors.  As information gathered will be use to determine whether communication and its channels could be use to foster community development

The study will also be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will  examine if provision of opportunities for dialogue and discussion promote community development. The study will also ascertain if provision of opportunities for sharing information and ideas contribute to community development. The study will further  asses the various forms of communication which can be used for effective community development. Lastly, the study will determine whether communication motivates residence of a community to promote community development. Hence this study will be delimited to Ikole Ekiti.

1.7       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Communication: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.

Community development: a process where community members are supported by agencies to identify and take collective action on issues which are important to them.

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