You are here

Piggybacking the Traditional Coffee Ceremony as a Participatory Communication Strategy to Resolve Social Problems: an Assessment of Practices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Journal Name:

Publication Year:

Author NameFaculty of Author
Abstract (2. Language): 
This study explores how the Ethiopian traditional coffee ceremony serves women around Merkato, Addis Ababa as a forum for participatory communication to resolve child abuse and exploitation and other problems. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions(FGDs) and observations were used to gather data from participants, facilitators and the coordinator of the programme, run by Children Aid Ethiopia (CHAD-ET). Although the initiative gave chance for some women to discuss about some major problems of their area, the overall procedure did not seem to be in a position to give frolicsome atmosphere for all participants to take part in the discussions mainly because of the formal nature of communications, limited skills of facilitators and large group size. The agenda for discussions were set by CHAD-ET. As a result, the sessions were usually held to meet predetermined objectives. The fact that participants often prioritised other issues over what the sponsor organisation set shows that the target groups were not included in the programme planning and designing stage.
121-149

REFERENCES

References: 

Agarwal, B. (2001). Participatory Exclusions, Community Forestry, and Gender: An Analysis for
South Asia and a Conceptual Framework. World Development, Vol. 29, No. 12,
(pp.1623-1648).
Arnst, R. (1996). Participation Approaches to the Research Process. In Servaes, J; Jacobson, T L;
White S A. (eds.), Participatory Communication for Social Change. (pp. 109-126). New
Delhi: Sage Publications.
Bessette, G. (1996). Development communication in West and Central Africa. In Bessette, G. &
Rajasunderam C. V. (eds.), Participatory development communication: a West African
agenda: Towards a research and Intervention Agenda. (pp. 9-36) International
Development Research Center. Ottawa: Southbound Penang.
Bessette, G. (2004). Involving the community: a guide to participatory development
communication. Southbound: Ottawa.
Bloor, M.; Frankland, J.; Thoamas, M.; Robson, K. (2001). Focus group in social research. UK:
Sage publication.
Boafo, K. (2006). Participatory development communication: an African perspective. Retrieved
August 23, 2009, from http://www.idrc.ca/es/ev-104968-201-1-
DO_TOPIC.html#ch03en01
Carmen, R.E. (1989). Development Communication: the Search for a Participatory Paradigm.
Community Development Journal, Vol. 24, No.4, (pp.264-272).
CSA-Ethiopia & ORC USA. (2005). Ethiopia demographic and health survey. Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dagne, H. G. (1994). Early marriage in northern Ethiopia. Reproductive Health
Matters: Motherhood, Fatherhood and Fertility, 4, 35-38.
Dagron, A. G. (2001). Making waves: Participatory communication for social change. New
York: The Rockefeller Foundation.
Diouf, J. (1995). FAO Statement, Connections April: 8.
Duraiappah, A. K.; Roddy, P. and Parry, J. (2005). Have Participatory Approaches Increased
Capabilities? International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). Retrieved
October 12, 2009, from
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2005/economics_participatory_approaches.pdf
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
Volume: 1 – Issue: 4 – October - 2011
© Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 147
Figueroa, M. E., Kincaid, D. L., Rani, M., & Lewis, G. (2002). Communication for social
change: An integrated model for measuring the process and its outcomes. New York:
The Communication for Social Change Working Paper Series No. 1, The Rockefeller
Foundation.
Finch, H. and Lewis, J. (2003). Focus Groups. In Ritchie, J. and Lewis, J. (eds.), Qualitative
Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. London: Sage
Publications.
Fraser, C. &Villet, J. (1994). Communication in practice. In Fraser, C. and Villet, J. (eds)
Communication: A Key to Human Development, United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, Rome, (pp.8–23)
Huesca, R. (2008). Tracing the History of Participatory Communication Approaches to
Development. In Servaes, J. (ed.) Approaches to Development (pp.180-200).Los Angeles:
Sage publications.
Jacobson, T. L., & Storey, J. D. (2004). Development communication and participation:
Applying Habermas to a case study of population programmes in Nepal. Communication
Theory.Vol.14, No.2, (pp.99-121). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-in/fulltext/118799179/PDFSTART
Khadka, N. B. (2000). Participatory communication as an alternative paradigm for nutrition
communication in Nepal. Retrieved September 08, 2009, from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/000...
6/12/90.pdf
Kottak, C.P. (1991). When people don't come first: Some sociological lessons from completed
projects. In M. Cernea, Editor, Putting People First (Second edition ed.). Oxford
University Press. (pp. 431–464).
Maria, C. and Peruzzo, K. (1996). Participation in Community Communication. In Servaes, J. et
al. (1996). Participatory Communication for Social Change (pp. 162-179). New Delhi:
Sage Publications.
Mefalopulos, P. (2008). Development Communication Sourcebook: Broadening the Boundaries
of Communication. Washington: World Bank Publications.
Melkote, S. R. (1991). Communication for Development in the Third World: Theory and
Practice. London: Sage Publications.
Melkote, S. R. & Steeves, H. L. (2001). Communication for Development in the Third World.
New Delhi: Sage Publications.
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
Volume: 1 – Issue: 4 – October - 2011
© Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 148
Mlama, P. (1991). Women's participation in communication for development: The popular
theater alternative in Africa. Research in African Literatures, Vol. 22, No.3, (pp.41-53).
Mlama, P. (1994). Reinforcing Existing Indigenous Communication Skills: The Use of Dance in
Tan- zania‟. In Riano, P. (ed.) Women in Grassroots Communication: Furthering Social
Change. (pp.51-64). London: Sage Publications.
Moemeka, A. (1997). Development Communication for Developing Societies: Facing the
Realities. International Communication Gazette. Vol.59, No.4-5. (pp. 59- 379)
Narayan, D. (1995). The Contribution of People‟s Participation: Evidence from 121 Rural Water
Supply Projects. Environmentally Sustainable Development Occasional Paper Series
No.1, the World Bank, Washington.
Parfitt, T. (2004). The ambiguity of participation: a qualified defense of participatory
development, Third World Quarterly, 25: 3, 537- 555. Retrieved September 05, 2009,
from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/78518_731201505_713632716.pdf
Pretty, J. N.; Guijt, I.; Thompson, J. and Scoones, I. (1995). Participatory learning and action: a
trainer's guide. London: IIED.
Riano, P. E. (1994). Women in Grassroots Communication Furthering Social Change. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications
Rietbergen-McCracken, J. (Ed.) (1996). Participation in practice: the experience of the World
Bank and other stakeholders. Discussion paper no. 333, World Bank, Washington DC.
Retrieved September 05, 2009 from http://wwwwds.
worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1996/12/01/00000926
5_3970716145150/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf
Rogers, E. M. (1976). Communication and Development: The Passing of the Dominant
Paradigm. Communication Research, Vol. 3, No. 2, (pp. 213 – 240). Retrieved November
02, 2009, from http://crx.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/3/2/213
Servaes, J. (1999). Communication for Development. One World, Multiple Cultures. Cresskill:
Hampton Press.
Servaes, J. (2008). Communication for development and social change. London: Sage
Publications.
Servaes, J. & Malikhao, P. (2007). Communication and Sustainable Development. In Servaes J.
and Liu, S. (eds.), Moving Targets. Mapping the paths between communication,
technology and social change in communities, Southbound, Penang, (pp. 11-42).
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies
Volume: 1 – Issue: 4 – October - 2011
© Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 149
Stauart, S & Bery, R. (1996). Powerful Grass-roots Women Communicators: Participatory Video
in Bangladish. In Servaes, J; Jacobson, T. L; White S. A. (eds.), Participatory
Communication for Social Change. (pp. 197-212). New Delhi: Sage Publication.
Tufte, T & Mefalopulos, P. (2009). Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide World
Bank Working Paper No. 170. Washington DC.
Ugboajah, F.O. (1972). Traditional Urban Media Model Stocktaking for African Development:
Role of Traditional Communication. In Gumucio-Dagron, A. & Tufte(eds)
Communication for Social Change Anthology: Historical and Contemporary Readings.
2006. (pp. 59-62) Communication for Social Change Consortium, Inc.
UNICEF. (2001). Early marriage, child spouses. UNICEF Digest No. 7, 1-28.
Waisbord, S. (2001). Family Tree of Theories, Methodologies and Strategies in Development
Communication: Convergences and Differences. New York: The Rockefeller Foundation,
Retrieved September 02, 2009, from http://www.comminit.com/pdf/familytree.pdf
Wilkins, K. G. (2005). Out of focus: gender visibilities in development. Retrieved September 02,
2009, from http://bibliotecavirtual.clacso.org.ar/ar/libros/edicion/media/21Chapter...
White, R. A. (2008). Ten major lines of research on grassroots, participatory communication in
Africa. African Communication Research 1(1), pp. 11–45.
Yoon, C. S. (1996). Participatory communication for development. In Bessette, G., and
Rajasunderam, C.V. (eds.), Participatory development communication: A West African
agenda. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre/Penang, Malaysia:
Southbound Press.

Thank you for copying data from http://www.arastirmax.com