Gowri S Dev
‘Does a tree falling in a deep forest at night make noise?’ was a critical question raised by Dr.Srinivas K Melkote, a communication theorist who has advocated the significance of communication in social change for the past 30 years.
The ambiguity in the answers led to his talk on the concepts of Positivism (quantitative methodology) and Constructivism (qualitative methodology). He was the resource person for the two-day international seminar on Communication for Social Change, organized by the PG Department of Studies and Research in Journalism and Mass Communication in association with the PG Department of Studies and Research in Social Work and the Department of Economics, St. Philomena’s College (Autonomous), Mysuru, on February 7 & 8, 2024. He delineated the objective and subjective realities and complexities of human behaviour in terms of research. His command over the language and content was truly appreciative.
Dr. Melkote covered two major topics including ‘The Role of Media and Communication in Development and Social Change’ on day one followed by ” The Epistemologies of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodology ” on day two.
Srinivas K Melkote who is a profound theoretician in the field of developmental communication and currently working as a professor at Bowling Green State University Ohio, USA, focuses on the significance of communication in social changes especially in third world countries, where he underlined an extensive analysis on how the health services are managed in developing countries and the role of media and culture in managing those services. Along with the mainstream of study, his interest extended to various areas of communication like health communication, international communication, participatory communication, media effects, and communication pedagogy. Dr.Melkote has authored key books in the field of communication and development which are most referred to by communication scholars across the globe. His famous works include “Communication for Development Theory and Practice for the Empowerment and Social Justice”, “Healthcare Management Strategy Communication and Development Challenges and Solutions in Developing Countries”, and “Intentional Satellite Broadcasting in South Asia: Political, Economic, and Cultural Implications”.
He threw insights into Hermeneutic Empiricism (HE), where reality is expressed through social practices, semiotic practices, and material considerations. He concluded the workshop by shedding light on the triangulation method that can produce reliable and authentic data.