ABSTRACT
The participatory approach to communication for national developmentefforts arose to replace modernization’s emphasis on knowledge diffusionand technology transfer. It places its highest value not on transfers of knowledge from outside developing societies, but rather on reliance upon local knowledge and local capability. Rather than encourage residents of developing societies to participate in development initiatives planned by outsiders, it encourages residents to make their own plans. Spurred by the example of Paulo Freire’s (1970, 1973) pioneering work in education in Latin America, development projects began in the 1970s that keyed in on self-determination and empowerment.
