McPhail, Thomas L. (Ed.). Development Communication: Reframing the Role of the Media.

Crandall, Heather

McPhail, Thomas L. (Ed.). Development Communication: Reframing the Role of the Media. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. ISBN 978-1-4051-8794-7 (pb.) $41.95.

To become conversant in the field, its history, and the current situation you must read Development Communication: Reframing the Role of the Media. Development communication, according to the editor, Thomas L. McPhail is "the process of intervening in a systematic or strategic manner with either media (print, radio, television, video, and the Internet), or education (training, literacy, schooling) for the purpose of positive social change" (p. 3).

McPhail, recognizing a moment of change, hopes to move the theoretical and thereby practical discussion occurring in the field forward in productive directions. one trajectory of thought asks why the dominant top-down model (modernization theory) in development communication projects failed to improve people's lives in the southern hemisphere. Another trajectory of thought centers on the complex network of foundations and non-governmental organizations working toward development communication goals globally and the potential for these efforts related to global media and culture. A third trajectory recognizes the roles of communication and information technology and feminist thought in holistic approaches to development communication.

Despite these multiple trajectories, one is not bogged down with cumbersome ideas. Instead, one is gratified by how useful the material is. It is an efficient way to become conversant in the field and demonstrates why upper division undergraduate students or graduate students engaged in the study of development communication should read these 11 chapters. McPhail uses the first five chapters to orient the reader to the history of development communication, the dominant theory (modernization), and theoretical responses to it (liberation theology, cultural imperialism, participatory communication, entertainment-education), along with a brief review of seminal texts. There is a clear chapter on the united Nations and its associated agencies, task forces, commissions, and forums that work on development communication efforts. Another accessible chapter traces "the rise of NGOs" along with the major American foundations that have a history in development communication. These include the Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller foundations. McPhail informs the reader of the mission and goals of each NGO, as well as the successes and recent controversies associated with each. McPhail's last introductory chapter covers the current state of globalization and world culture--specifically, the influence of the World Trade Organization, the International Network for Cultural Diversity, and UNESCO's work related to cultural diversity. With appreciated brevity, McPhail outlines the goals of each and discusses the future prospects of these organizations given their power. Related to media conglomerates, McPhail states:

 In this global market there are a few LCDs' [less
 developed countries] media successes outside of
 the Hollywood world. These include India's
 Bollywood, Asian animation movies, or
 Brazilian and Mexican telenovelas. The U.S., on
 the other hand, is certainly trying to promote further
 their philosophies such as privatization, liberalization,
 free enterprise, and market forces, as
 well as see their products go global--ranging
 from Disney, to the Simpsons and MTV, to
 Google and Microsoft. (p. 96)

For an edited volume, Development Communication is a cohesive read because of the ratio of editor authored chapters (six) to contributor authored chapters (five). McPhail includes these contributors because he considers these authors to be "selected experts." The sixth chapter is on the conceptualization of communication and information technologies. In it, the authors offer a four-cell context-technology (C-T) scheme adapted from Jackson's (1996) framework. After the details of the C-T scheme are covered, the authors call for "development scholars to rethink the concepts of change and change agents in their theorizing about the relationship between ICTs [information communication technologies] and national structures and processes," (p. 120) and advocate for the integrationist perspective.

Chapter 7 explores factors that widen the global digital divide, from what LCDs have in common to the economic and social power inequalities that prevent adequate progress. In this way, Chapter 7 accomplishes its goals. The authors of the eighth chapter point to the absence of attention to gender in development communication thought. Luz Estella Porras and H. Leslie Steeves view five approaches to development communication through a feminist lens to illustrate their point. The approaches are modernization, political economy, spirituality for liberation, post-development thought and post-colonial studies, and embodiment. These authors argue for "a holistic approach that includes the consideration of non-material elements of development including discourse and spirituality, as well as political and economic questions, with a foundational awareness of women's embodied experience" (p. 145). The writing is accessible, the transitions are smooth, and helpful examples of development communication in action effortlessly build the reader's grasp of the subject. Chapter 9 is an exciting and illustrative case study of a health intervention for sex workers in India.

As mentioned above, by the book's end one feels conversant in the area of development communication. If used as a text for class, Chapter 9's case study could serve to model an assignment having students apply one or more approaches in development communication to a specific development communication effort. The students could choose the project and evaluate the application. Chapter 10 is another case study of the Roma project, wherein the author examines development rhetorics in a set of open Society Initiative reports. The goal was to discover what development model dominates in a development communication project for Roma people, commonly (and incorrectly) known as gypsies. The location of Chapter 10 in the book may not fully serve its content. The chapter is heavy on description, and by this point, one yearns for application rather than more exposition, as it is conceptually more productive. Development Communication ends with a cohesive concluding chapter that incorporates McPhail's first six chapters with points made in the five other chapters.

The book argues for interdisciplinary approaches, or more inclusive approaches, to development communication given globalization and the threat of cultural homogenization. The role of the media in these globalization homogenizing processes is a subtle part of the book. The implication is that if the approach to development communication is conceived accurately, the right course for the role of the media in whatever effort will follow.

In all, McPhail's Development Communication is an important contribution to the field. It will sustain and index the conversation--especially in light of the failures of modernization. Similar to most calls for change, McPhail's book does not see easy solutions to a field with a broad, complicated history and mission. It does encourage the idea that to rethink its theoretical orientations is not altogether impossible, but it will never work with a narrow, simplistic perspective.

A number of Internet resources track contributions made toward development communication efforts. These resources are, no doubt, an attempt to solve the problem of donations not ending up in the intended hands. Development Communication: Reframing the Role of the Media did not address this positive outcome of information technology. The fact that this thought occurred after having read the book is, however, one indication of this book's value.

As expected the book has a bibliography and an index.

--Heather Crandall

Gonzaga university

Reference

Jackson, M. H. (1996). The meaaning of communication technology: The technology-context scheme. In B. Burleson (Ed.), Communication yearbook 19 (pp. 229-68). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.