Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Mass Communication (Communication)

This study aims to contribute to the theoretical development and the effective practice of Communication for Social Change by exploring the application of the principles and ideas of Complexity Science to Communication for Social Change endeavors. The study provides a theoretical framework for the analysis of Communication for Social Change initiatives and presents guidelines for organizations, including both practitioner organizations and donor agencies, interested in using Complexity Science principles and ideas to inform their Communication for Social Change strategies. The study employs an interpretive approach and an instrumental case study method of inquiry. Five principles distilled from the literature on Complexity Science are used to identify examples from the work of Puntos de Encuentro, a feminist, non-profit organization working in Communication for Social Change in Central America, in order to illustrate how Complexity Science principles can be applied to Communication for Social Change strategies and to explore possible challenges and implications, for organizations working in the field of Communication for Social Change, of applying these principles in their work. The major conclusions and insights of the study are, first, that Complexity Science can provide social change organizations, development agencies, donors, scholars and policy makers with a useful framework for addressing complex social issues and it may make Communication for Social Change strategies more effective at creating social change, and second, that Communication for Social Change strategies need to be supported by organizational cultures that guarantee a shared vision and directions and promote power decentralization, self-organizing and innovation as this is what provides organizations with the level of flexibility and adaptability required by a continuously changing environment. The study concludes with a set of recommendations that aim to serve as guidelines for Communicat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Rafael Obregón (Committee Chair); Josep Rota (Committee Member); Arvind Singhal (Committee Member); Lynn Harter (Committee Member); Steve Howard (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Entrepreneurship; Evolution and Development; Mass Communications; Multimedia Communications; Organizational Behavior; Systems Science