Since the demarcation of the First, Second and Third Worlds has broken down and the cross-over centre-periphery can be found in every region, there is a need for a new concept for development which emphasises cultural identity and multidimensionality. The present day global world, in general as well as in its distinct regional and national entities, is confronted with multifaceted problems. Apart from the obvious economic and financial crises, one could also refer to social, ideological, moral political, ethnic, ecological and security crises. In other words, the previously held dependency perspective has become more difficult to support because of the growing interdependency of regions, nations and communities in our so-called ‘global’ world.

From the criticism of these two paradigms, particularly that of the dependency approach, a new viewpoint on development and social change has come to the forefront. The common starting point here is the examination of the changes right from the bottom, from self development of the local community. The critical assumption is that there are no countries or communities that function completely autonomously and that are completely self-sufficient, nor are there any nations whose development is exclusively determined by external factors. Every society is dependent in one way or another, both in form and degree. Thus, a framework was sought within which both the centre and the periphery could be studied separately and in their mutual relationship.

The basic premise here is that change must be structural and occur at multiple levels in order to achieve the above ends. Here is where this book comes in, with a more detailed analysis of the issue of communication for social change. Dealing with people and the processes needed to facilitate sharing in order to achieve sustainable developmental change, Communi-cation for Development and Social Change underlines the fact that development communication is based on dialogue, which is vital to promote people’s participation.

The successes and failures of most development projects are often determined by two crucial factors, i.e., communication and people’s involve-ment. Even though communication for development came into being in the 1960s, and has clearly shown its usefulness and impact in change and development actions, its role is still not understood and appreciated to the point that it is routinely included in development planning. Many well-intended projects are thought out in places far remote from the actual context in which they are supposed to be implemented. Consequently, they fail to understand the complex power relationships and the cultural and communication processes existing at these local levels.
 
Keeping these issues in mind, most of the authors in this collection argue that authentic participation directly addresses power and its distribution in society. Participation involves the more equitable sharing of both political and economic power, which often decreases the advantage of certain groups. Structural change involves the redistribution of power. In mass communication areas, many communication experts agree that structural change should occur first in order to establish participatory communication policies. Communi-cation is an essential element of every development and social change project, and it needs to be applied in different ways and at distinct levels according to the needs and characteristics of the context or the community.

Based on the assumption that authentic participation directly addresses power and its distribution in society, which often decreases the advantage of certain elite groups, the authors argue that structural and sustainable change necessitates the redistribution of power. This collection offers perceptive insights and precise examples to prove that the field of communication for development and social change is indeed vibrant. q

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