CHANNEL UTILIZATION FOR COMMUNICATION IN TRIBAL

SOCIETY OF JHARKHAND
Prasad RE, Dwivedi V and Dubey VK

Day to day experience show that dissemination of information has a great

bearing upon the social transformation of a society. During the previous
years, several measures were adopted through mass communication to
improve the tribal societies. However, the results show that previous
programmes failed to achieve the envisaged target because of hypothetical
content of communication network formulated on the experience of alien
land. To effect the desired and needful changes in tribal societies of this
country, the specifically modeled programme should be implemented through
a feasible communication network. The present study is aimed at analyzing
the communication channel with the tribal community and to suggest
measures to make the same effective and viable. The objective of the study
was to identify the communication channel of information acquisition among
the respondents. The whole village approach is the basis of this study. The
population of this study was 240 heads of the family selected purposively of
which 174 belonged to Tribal Group and 66 to the Non-tribal group in
Khumbha-khurd village of Nagar Untari block of Garhwa district. The
communication channels were classified into 3 categories for the purpose of
study. The first category consisted of Akhara, the weekly market, Bhatti
(traditional-distillery) and the local shop. The second category consisted of
Pahan, Mahato, Bhiga, Nai, Neighbours, Friends, Local leaders, VLW. The
third category consisted of transistor sets, the local newspaper and the other
forms of mass media. The utilization of these three categories of
communication channels were assessed by ascertaining the percentage of
respondents using a particulars channel. In first category of communication
channels weekly market ranked first accounting utilization by 50% of the
respondents followed by Akhara 25% local shop accounting 14.94% and
Bhatti 9.77% respectively. In second category of channels Neighbour
(28.16%) ranked first with regard to utilization of second communication
channel followed by friends (20%), Nai (15%) and local leaders (10%). In
third category of channels transistor sets was ranked first accounting 26%
followed by local newspapers 5%. Sixty eight percent of the respondents
were under non-users of mass media. Maximum respondents were found
under high level of utilization of first channel, i.e., 81% followed by medium
19%. In case of second category of channels, 66% were in medium level
followed by low 32%. In case of third category of channels of
communication, 71% of Tribal Group respondents were in low level followed
by 51% in medium level. The strongest and effective system of
communication in tribal setting is the first category communication channel
i.e., weekly market, Akhara, localshop, Bhatti, which has been proved by this
study. Man’s all activities in the tribal belt are mounted by the first category
communication channel, which he receives very efficiently and effectively
and their main pattern is interpersonnel communication. Among the mass
media radio, press, TV are although most attractive but not proved potent
media in a tribal dominating village. The reasons behind this are poor
economic condition, lack of electricity and lack of proper education of the
media concerned and non use of people language. Therefore, mass media
methodologies must necessarily be based on their setting, keeping in view of
their dialect, socio-economic and political scenario of the area with prime
motive at agricultural field. In order to achieve speedier tribal development,
the development agencies should give prime importance of first category of
communication system i.e., weekly market, Akhara, Local Shorp, Bhatti etc.

ll

Citation: International Conference on Communication for

Development in the Information Age: Extending the Benefits of
Technology for All. 07-09 January 2003 Eds. Basavaprabhu Jirli
Editor in Chief, Diapk De, K. Ghadei and Kendadmath, G.C.,
Department of Extension Education, Institute of Agricultural
Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, (India).

Global Communication Research Association

Centre for International Communication, MaCquarie University, Sydney, Australia
GCRA – Varanasi Conference
Prof. Naren Chitty Prof. Dipak De
President - GCRA Organizing Secretary
naren.chitty@scmp.mq.edu.au dedipak@gmail.com

Prof. Basyouni Hamada Dr. Basavaprabhu Jirli

Secretary General - GCRA Editor in Chief
basyouni2000@yahoo.com bjirli@gmail.com