Communication, Rural Development and Technology: A Sociological Viewpoint

Improving quality of life and achieving desirable socio-economic well being of the people is the main objective of rural development. It becomes more and more pertinent with reference to the people living in isolated and remote rural areas. This process is strengthen by the effective use of communication technologies and imparting knowledge to the farmers at grass roots level. Hence, the agency of change for rural development is communication and technology. The key of agricultural development lies in the mind, heart and hands of farmers. It is the modern technology, which opens the door to innovative and productive agriculture. A steady flow of accurate, understandable, factual information to the farmers is most feasible way to bring development and well being. Effective communication system plays important role in the growth of agriculture. This can be possible by using channels of communication such as newspaper, radio, television, cable, internet, mobile etc. Thus media exposure has become one of the important indicators of modernization and brings rural development.

This paper argues that the effort to this end is possible through communication and it act as an agency for change. Imparting new agricultural knowledge requires channels of such agencies for effective communication to the farmers at grass-roots level. Further, it focuses on how mass-communication should be used and utilized for rural development. For better agricultural out put effective use of media and communication is essential. On the basis of exploratory and descriptive analysis the paper further argues that knowledge explosion can bring rural development, which is possible through mass media and technology. Besides this other effective and significant ideas pertaining to new agricultural technologies must reach at grass-roots level for use of the farmers.

Key words: Communication, Development, Knowledge expansion