ERIC Number: ED167112
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1976-Jan
Pages: 14
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Communicating with the Rural Poor. Report Number 10.
Awa, Njoku E.
A study was conducted to examine possible problems in the information dissemination of social aid programs for the poor. Two samples of 141 community leaders and 143 low-income families were selected from a New York county with a high percentage of households in relative poverty and a low percentage in relative affluence. Data gathered from the two samples by personal interview using structured questionnaires included information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, beliefs and attitudes, and communication behavior. Community leaders were found to be considerably more exposed to newspapers, magazines, and books than were the rural poor. Two obstacles to leader-client communication (through the printed word) were identified--money and motivation. Lack of funds prevented the poor from subscribing to newspapers and magazines, while lack of motivation accounted for their low interest in the content of farm bulletins. It is suggested that these disincentives might be dislodged or offset by the use of cost-free media that have motivational appeal. (CMV)
Descriptors: Communication Problems, Community Leaders, Community Surveys, Diffusion, Economically Disadvantaged, Extension Agents, Information Dissemination, Poverty, Program Descriptions, Rural Extension, Rural Population
The Communication Arts Graduate Teaching and Research Center, Cornell University, 640 Stewart Avenue, Ithaca, New York 14853 (single copies are free)
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: State Univ. of New York, Ithaca. Coll. of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell Univ.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A
Note: Papers in Communication; For related documents, see IR 006 846-851 and ED 162 648
