Our Work

     The vastly changed media scenario calls for a recasting of the role of media in promoting pro social change. The economic reform has resulted in the democratization of media facilitating local governance as a stepping stone for empowerment of communities facilitating social development. Media convergence has the immense potential to create media, i.e. media with concern for development to provide alternative to commercial mainstream media. Today there are several initiates to provide alternative media tools to realize the goals of development.

     Today the unique concept of interactive communication technology can overcome the technological obsolescence as it is compatible for media convergence. It has the potential to become a unique tool for imparting continuing education and training with greater degree of flexibility.

The study is based on following premises:
     There are four important premises in which Media’s interface with social development has been much debated. First important premise is that sensitized media would make the State to respond to the larger problems afflicting society. Amartya Sen in his study on famine once argued that the famine although is “man made”, can be contained when media become over cautious about the issues. This is very apparent in the context of Karnataka too. Coastal Karnataka for example has not seen famine in its history as it is one region known for literacy , human development as well as higher exposure to print media. Wherever the media has not intervened, the social development remained marginal Second premise is that social development across the region is not uniform. It differs with each region. The development paradigm has given rise to multiple “mini India” within India. Similarly there are multiple Karnataka – social development of categories in each region differ from other one, depending upon the accessibility, level of economic development etc Third premise is that the same indices cannot be universally applied given the fact that cultural specifities about the social categories require different indexes. This is the reason why social development of dalits, minorities, women require different indices. Fourth premise is that we can create a new “Karnataka Model of Social Development” on line with Kerala Model of Development. In the absence of heavy industrial and agricultural developments Kerala has created greater social spaces than other States.

Objective

  1. Study the different paradigms of media and social development.
  2. Analyze the nature, forms, levels, phases and consequences of media intervention in the process of social development.
  3. Study the development “deficit” and its implications on social categories.
  4. Assess how media intervention transformed region called Karnataka.
  5. Develop new social development indices to greatly disadvantaged groups.
  6. Based on the findings of the above studies, design an alternative Model of Development for Karnataka.

Rationale

  1. Inadequate focus of media’s role in social development
  2. To continue the tradition of academic intervention (Faculty of University of Mysore) in the social development issues
  3. The University of Mysore is part of the project on the development of human development reports. The Institute of Development Studies has been involved in the preparation of the reports
  4. The experts on media who have been awarded with international fellowships viz., Fulbright fellowships and have publications and post doctoral work on the issues of social development and other social issues and their work is a critique on development
  5. All the team members are researchers actively engaged in several research projects of UGC, ICSSR, United Nations, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, UNICEF, Ford Foundation, Shastri-Indo Canadian International Institute and Canadian International Development Agency, Karnataka Forest Department and United Nations Democracy Fund

Methodology & Research Design

     The present study is exploratory in nature and is based on primary and secondary data collected from the five revenue divisions of Karnataka. We will use existing sources and field based sources to meet some of the objectives. Data will be collected to know the present scenario of social development in all the five revenue divisions. To examine the development agenda of regional language (Kannada) media including print, broadcast and new media through content analysis and framing approach. Data and information on Unique features of social development and media intervention will be collected through case study method. Appropriate tools will be developed to collect the data on social development issues. This project also conducts a thematic content analysis of newspapers through framing approach.

Profile of Karnatka

     Karnataka is one of the 8th largest state in India in terms of population. It has a population of 61.1 million with 31.05 million males (50.05%) and 30.07 million females (49.11%). It has the sex ratio of M-1000 and F-964. The literacy rate has gone up at 67.04% with Males -76.29% and Females – 57.45%. The state has 30 districts, 176 taluks and 27028 revenue villages. The state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is expected to reach a growth of 8.2% (2010-11) as against 5.2% in 2009-10. The state’s growth rate which was always higher than the national average growth rate till 2007-08 is well below the national GDP growth rate of 8.6% in 2010-11.

     Karnataka has 56,682 rural habitations including 27,017 Revenue villages. According to 2011 census, about 66.01% of its people live in rural habitations. 69% of the State's population and about 62 lakhs households who live in the rural areas depend mainly on agriculture. The distinguishing features of the State's rural society are;

  • The existence of a large number of scattered habitations
  • Dependence on agriculture and related activities
  • Low per capita income
  • Low levels of infrastructure like roads, electricity, housing and water supply
  • Lower rank than the urban areas of the State in terms of human development parameters like literacy, health services and skill endowments
  • Development of rural areas in the State would therefore imply improving the productivity of agriculture and other economic activities in the rural areas, improving the coverage and quality of infrastructure, and improving the quality of services, which contribute directly to upgrading the quality of human resources

Decadal Growth

Decadal Growth

Decadal Growth