Studying the global from within the local

Abstract

Global Communication Research should be (1) concerned about the transformation of society (hence: normative), (2) human-centered (hence: not driven by technological determinism), (3) truly global, and (4) focused on content and (human) rights. Therefore, (5) more participatory and qualitative communication research, (6) and monitoring and evaluation from the perspective of social relevance are needed.

Keywords:

• globalization
• development
• dependency
• identity
• human rights

Acknowledgments

A draft version of this research was first presented during the Roundtable of the Global Communication and Social Change Division on Transformations in Global Communication Research at the ICA 2015 Annual Conference, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 21–25 May 2015.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jan Servaes

Jan Servaes is UNESCO Chair in Communication for Sustainable Social Change and Chair Professor at the Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Editor-in-Chief of Telematics and Informatics: An Interdisciplinary Journal on the Social Impacts of New Technologies, and Editor of the Southbound Book Series Communication for Development and Social Change, the Lexington Book Series Communication, Globalization and Cultural Identity, and the Springer Book Series Communication, Culture and Change in Asia. His academic interests cover such topics as international and development communication; ICT and media policies; intercultural communication and language; and participation and social change. He is known for his “multiplicity paradigm” in Communication for Development. One World, Multiple Cultures (1999). His most recent book is Technological Determinism and Social Change (2014).