Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context

Brochures are often used in South Africa to disseminate information to disadvantaged communities. This article is based on a research project in which the effectiveness of printed texts containing information about agricultural practices was tested among a target audience of small-scale farmers in...

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Main Author: Maritha Snyman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Johannesburg 2022-10-01
Series:Communicare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1828
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author Maritha Snyman
author_facet Maritha Snyman
author_sort Maritha Snyman
collection DOAJ
description Brochures are often used in South Africa to disseminate information to disadvantaged communities. This article is based on a research project in which the effectiveness of printed texts containing information about agricultural practices was tested among a target audience of small-scale farmers in deep rural areas. The methodology used was informed by reception theory. The historical development of reception study is traced and compared with recent trends in communication research. The findings of this study indicate that considerable interpretation gaps exist between sender and receiver. This is mainly caused by a lack of understanding about the life world of the end-user and results in the absence of a common coda[ system between communicator and receiver. Empirical studies based on reception theory can make a positive contribution towards improving development communication in the pluralistic cultural and lingual South African society. It may well be used as an instrument to test the effectiveness of messages aimed at a specific target audience.
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publishDate 2022-10-01
publisher University of Johannesburg
record_format Article
series Communicare
spelling doaj-art-768055c93bd14f3fa5538d31e08e01f12025-01-20T08:49:58ZengUniversity of JohannesburgCommunicare0259-00692957-79502022-10-0121110.36615/jcsa.v21i1.1828Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development contextMaritha Snyman0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8594-0998University of Pretoria Brochures are often used in South Africa to disseminate information to disadvantaged communities. This article is based on a research project in which the effectiveness of printed texts containing information about agricultural practices was tested among a target audience of small-scale farmers in deep rural areas. The methodology used was informed by reception theory. The historical development of reception study is traced and compared with recent trends in communication research. The findings of this study indicate that considerable interpretation gaps exist between sender and receiver. This is mainly caused by a lack of understanding about the life world of the end-user and results in the absence of a common coda[ system between communicator and receiver. Empirical studies based on reception theory can make a positive contribution towards improving development communication in the pluralistic cultural and lingual South African society. It may well be used as an instrument to test the effectiveness of messages aimed at a specific target audience. https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1828South African development contextprinted textscommunicate informationBrochuresagricultural practicesSouth African society
spellingShingle Maritha Snyman
Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
Communicare
South African development context
printed texts
communicate information
Brochures
agricultural practices
South African society
title Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
title_full Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
title_fullStr Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
title_full_unstemmed Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
title_short Using printed texts to communicate information in the South African development context
title_sort using printed texts to communicate information in the south african development context
topic South African development context
printed texts
communicate information
Brochures
agricultural practices
South African society
url https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/jcsa/article/view/1828
work_keys_str_mv AT marithasnyman usingprintedtextstocommunicateinformationinthesouthafricandevelopmentcontext