Editing Development communication (section)

==Interface revisited and reinforced: development communication and policy sciences==

To affirm the interface, I reviewed the notions of development communication and policy sciences.  Development education, a related and a younger discipline is shortly discussed.  I also highlight the similarities of these fields.

Quebral (2012)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Quebral|first1=N.C.|title=Development communication primer|date=2012|publisher=Southbound|location=Penang}}</ref> redefines development communication as "the science of human communication linked to the transition of communities from poverty in all its forms to a dynamic overall growth that fosters equity and the unfolding of individual potential" (p.&nbsp;9).

Meanwhile, Guru (2016)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Guru|first1=M.C.P.B.|title=Applied development communication|date=2016|publisher=Dominant Publisher and Distributions Pte Ltd|location=New Delhi}}</ref> explains that development communication "(1) provides a conceptual and practical framework in accelerating development in all spheres of life; (2) includes the integration of planned, organized, and specific communication package into planning, programming, and implementation; (3)facilitates the flow of development education among various stakeholders; and (4) empowers marginalized individuals, groups, and organizations" (p.&nbsp;101).

I thought that development education is just a function or a subset of development communication just like information, motivation, persuasion, among others.  In fact, it is discipline in its own right that started in the 1990s. Bourn (2015)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bourn|first1=D|title=The theory and practice of development communication: A pedagogy for global social justice|date=2015|publisher=Routledge|location=London}}</ref> describes it as "an education approach that (1) responds to issues of development, human rights, justice, and world citizenship; (2) presents an international development and human rights perspective within education in various parts of the world; (3) promotes voices and viewpoints of those who are excluded from an equal share in the benefits of international human development; (4) connects and compares development issues and challenges all over the world; (5) provides opportunities for people to reflect on their international roles and responsibilities with regard to issues of equality and justice in human development; and (6) narrates a new story of human development" (p.&nbsp;47).

On the other hand, policy sciences or policy studies basically refer to the policy cycle, which involves "policy making, policy implementation, policy evaluation, and policy feedback" (Flynn and Asquer, 2017, p.&nbsp;40).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Flynn|first1=N.|last2=Asquer|first2=A.|title=Public sector management|date=2017|publisher=Sage Publications Ltd|location=London}}</ref> Originally, it is a function of governance and, therefore the domain of government officials.  However, with democracy as a form of government in many nations, it has also become the domain of the governed, hence, the term public policy.  Most available literature on policy studies quote the definition developed by Hence Thomas Dye as "whatever governments choose to do or not to do."

However, Chakrabarty and Chand (2016)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chakrabarty|first1=B.|last2=Chand|first2=P.|title=Public policy: Concept, theory, and practice|date=2016|publisher=Sage Publications India Pte Ltd|location=New Delhi}}</ref> argue that "[t]here cannot be a universal definition of policy although one can endure a near universal definition by highlighting its technical character" (p.&nbsp;3).  With these, they characterize Dye's definition as "functional in character" and contend that "governments are not at all free to choose because their choice is context-dependent and governed by the ideology they adhere to" (p.&nbsp;4).

They raise the limitations Dye's definition: (1) does not reflect or represent the ideological goals of the government; (2) does not reflect the critical role of institutions; and (3) does not provide enough inputs to conceptualize public policy as an executive device and as a marker of ideology.

After presenting the etymology of "public" and "policy", they propose a layman's definition through an acronym: POLICY.  PO stands for periodically organized, which suggests that policies are "constantly reinvented and transformed in accordance with changing social, economic, and political realities".  To add, LI means legally induced, which suggests it cannot dispense "constitutions and other legal instruments in shaping policy."  Lastly, CY means calculated yields, which implies that policies must be beneficial and profitable (p.&nbsp;6).

With this, they propose a definition, that is, "[p]olicy being a functional design seeking to fulfill certain objectives on the basis of specific calculations of the pros and the cons, and this is naturally context-dependent" (p.&nbsp;7).  Hence, it has a dynamic character: (1) it considers the changing environment, and (2) it prioritizes public good.

They also enumerate the features of a policy: (1) intentional or deliberately designed to address societal issues; (2) a course of action with specific goals and objectives; (3) devised in response to a perceived need or demand or problem; (4)creates an environment in which various actors converge to develop policy designs; (5) an authoritative decision by the government (Chakbarty and Chand, 2016, p.&nbsp;8).

Three broad and dynamic disciplines are presented.  It is then instructive to highlight their commonalities or similarities to affirm their interface: (1) systematic (planned, organized, designed, or an approach); (2) change-oriented, preferably for the better if not the best (public good); (3) holistic and multidimensional; (4) pro-people or advocates of equity or social justice, and (5) largely participatory.

Development education, being the youngest field or discipline, has two distinct emphases: sustainable development and global citizenship (Bourn, 2015).  A number of modifiers have come before the term development over time, but the most recent is sustainable, hence, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Guru (2016) defines it as "a vision of the future that provides necessary blueprint through which the developmental activities of individuals and institutions can be streamlined on the basis of ethical, humanitarian, and professional considerations" (p.&nbsp;85).  It has three dimensions: social, economic, and environmental (World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002 in Guru, 2016).  In fact, it is imperative for both development practitioners and policy makers to understand these dimensions.