University of the West Indies - MA Communication for Social and Behaviour Change

The Master of Arts in Communication for Social Behaviour Change was started in 2004.  It provides students with a solid foundation in theory, research methods and practice. Participants are prepared to conceptualise, design, manage and evaluate evidence-based strategic programmes for social and behaviour change. A range of challenges and opportunities are addressed, including the environment, climate change and disaster preparedness, responses to the crisis of HIV and AIDS, as well as other social and developmental issues. Preparation in strategic communication and intervention design will include individual, community, national, Caribbean regional, and global strategies and cover a range of communication strategies.

The Master of Arts in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change programme is a part-time programme.   It runs for 2 academic years, starting in September of Year 1.  Students will attend at least two courses per semester. Classes are in the evenings, Monday through Thursdays, and some special sessions may be scheduled on a weekend. There is a summer component of 6 weeks between June and July. The summer is counted as a semester and students are required to register for the course during the designated summer.

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The student is required to register for the following 10 courses for a total of 38 credits for this Masters programme:

Behaviour Change and Communication Theories - The course focuses on complex phenomena and processes expressing themselves at various levels. Changes in behaviour, at the individual as well as the group or community levels, will be approached from a systems perspective, in which key institutional agents will be looked at. The main objective of the course is to increase students’ understanding of evidence-based social and behaviour change processes and some of the theoretical challenges and solutions that have been identified in facilitating or triggering change.  The course provides the foundation for the courses that follow in the program, including Development Communication and Communication Analysis and Planning. 

Research Methods in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change - This course compliments the Behaviour Change and Communication Theories course and is taken in the same semester. Research approaches will reflect a similarly comprehensive perspective and consider the “contextual domain”. This means that students will become familiar with a range of research interventions, including quantitative and qualitative methods and will be required to design and execute modest research projects using these methods. They will also learn to combine both methods over time and make findings an integral part of developing new interventions and making suggestions for policy, as well as strengthening existing programmes. Students will also learn to critically analyse current research in the field of communication for social and behaviour change.  

Academic Reading and Writing in the Study and Analysis of Communication - This course prepares students to analyse and produce writing that meets the requirements of graduate level work in analysing communication. Through continuous reading and writing exercises on issues central to understanding communication, students will improve their skills in selecting and evaluating the scholarly material used in the field of communication. During the course, students will also be introduced to the major journals in communication, including the American and European schools of communication studies.  They will also learn how to use and cite bibliographic material according to the American Psychological Association format standard in communication studies as well as to integrate graphics and tables into their work for seminar and conference presentations.  Each week, students will be assigned examples of academic writing in analysing communication.  

Social Change and Development Communication - The course will trace the role of theory and research related to information used to address problems of social change and development programmes.  Students will understand what is meant by the term Social Change and Development Communication with views from various society change agents. They will be guided through the principles of social change and development communication from various perspectives.   The course examines how grassroots and participatory strategies are being combined with communication technologies to promote social change in developing country contexts. The effectiveness of communication strategies (interpersonal, mass, and the Internet) to address problems where change in attitudes or behaviour is called for will be discussed. A special topic of consideration will be the role of communication and information technology in development programmes or plans with a focus on the best practices in the Caribbean.

Communication Analysis and Planning - This course exposes the student to the practical applications of communication as a tool in the development process. Following on from the preceding courses in the programme, in this course development embraces the human, social, environmental, economic and political processes which bring about change and improvement of human conditions and an empowerment of the individual to harness that change to his or her advantage. In this process the role which communication plays becomes very central.  The course introduces students to the practical skills in developing communication support projects as integral parts of a development programme or strategy.  In-class assignments take a case-study approach, using teamwork as well as opportunities for individual skills development, in order to allow the student greater understanding of and facility with how communication approaches and methods are integral to effective development programme design.  On completion of the course, the student should be able to design workable communication for development programmes for specific situations and needs.

Disasters, Media and Communication - The purpose of the course is to acquaint students with contemporary theory, research and practice of risk communication. The course treats “risk communication” as a complex challenge that requires a careful understanding of science, the mass media, stakeholder roles, ideologies, and lay conceptions of danger. As professionals, risk communicators assist government, industry, health and activist organizations to produce documents and media campaigns. They inform interdisciplinary and lay audiences about health and environmental hazards, risks, and preparedness. 

Intervention Design - This course is designed to train students in the design of strategically planned, social and behavioural change communication interventions.  It emphasizes the need to plan sound interventions and reviews the strategic planning steps that are required for persuasive or participatory approaches. Additionally, it recognizes that ‘strategic communication’ can go a long way in supporting and deepening the impact of other programmatic interventions and seeks to define the proper role and strength of communication in broader development activities.

Caribbean Media, Communication and Society - The course aims at developing a broad knowledge of Caribbean media and communication systems and develops the student’s knowledge of the relationship between communication and culture in the Caribbean, particularly with respect to media influences on culture.
 
Graduate Seminars: Contemporary Issues in Communication for Behaviour and Social Change - The goal of this course is to illustrate the importance of communication for social and behaviour change, focusing on the application of communication models and strategies in health, social and other development fields. The seminar will serve as a forum for discussing current research in communication and change from various perspectives. It will provide a platform for students to begin planning their final year research projects.  The course is designed to help students to develop an awareness of relevant current research in the field of social and behaviour change. It will also facilitate the presentation of research proposals for feedback and discussion before final approval and inform students about university regulations regarding final research projects. 

Final Research Paper - The goal of the final project, which is referred to as a Research Project/Research Paper, is to demonstrate students’ understanding of application of theory, research methods and other skills acquired in the classroom. The project will be a challenging piece of work that integrates concepts and skills. Approval of project proposals is required before proceeding with the project or research.

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The delivery mode consists of lectures and seminars supplement by practical assignments, final projects, and research presentations.

• Friedman, J (1990). “Being in the world: globalisation and localisation” in Featherstone, M. Global Culture nationialism, globalization and modernity. Sage Publishing. 
• Melkote (2001). “Introduction to communication” in  Melkote, S. & Steevel, L. (2001)  Communication for  development  in the Third. Sage Publishing.
• Castelloe, P., White, C., & Watson, T. Participatory Change: CPC's Model for Supporting Grassroots Social Transformation in Rural Communities; Center for Participatory Change, North Carolina, USA 
• Freire, P.  (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed.  Myra Bergman Ramos.
• Introduction to Communication for Social Change Consortium Anthology:  Historical and Contemporary Readings.

Professor Hopeton Dunn, Director of the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) , is the author, editor or co-editor of 6 books and numerous scholarly publications including book chapters, journal articles, monographs and guest edited academic journals.  This includes 'Ringtones of Opportunity: Policy, Technology and Access in the Caribbean' published in 2012. Other books and co-edited volumes include titles such as 'Globalization, Communication and Caribbean Identity'; 'Media, Democracy and Renewal in Southern Africa', and 'Emancipation: the Lessons and the Legacy'. He has also written or co-produced 8 nationally transmitted video documentaries/film productions on themes of media, culture and development.

Professor Hopeton Dunn is Professor of Communications Policy and Digital Media and the Director of the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC) .  He is also Director of The Mona ICT Policy Centre, Mona School of Business and Management.  Professor Dunn serves on numerous national, regional and international councils and editorial boards in his field, and is the immediate past Secretary General of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).  Click here for more information.

Livingston A. White earned his PhD in Communication from the College of Communication and Information at the Florida State University (FSU) where his studies focused on health communication and statistical applications in communication research. During his time at CARIMAC, he has conducted research and training in communication planning for, as well as consulted with, various regional Caribbean-based agencies including the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, and the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s Caribbean Child Support Initiative, focusing on issues ranging from the coverage of health in Caribbean media, advocacy communication for sustainable environmental management to early childhood development.

Anthea Edalere-Henderson has been a member of the department since 2001. She started in a part-time capacity and later took on full time responsibilities in 2007. She has had a diverse educational experience having lived in various countries: Great Britain, Nigeria, the United States of America and Jamaica. Dr Henderson holds a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Media and Communication from the University of the West Indies. She also has a Liberal Arts Degree, with a focus on Theology from the Ambassador College, California USA. Her area of academic interest is the influence of media technologies with specific focus on the effects on children.

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