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Knowledge Diffusion in the Context of Development in Rural Areas

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Knowledge Diffusion in the Context of Development in Rural Areas DOCUMENT RESUME ED 390 619 RC 020 403 AUTHOR Martinez-Brawley, Emilia E. TITLE Knowledge Diffusion in the Context of Development in Rural Areas. Keynote Address. PUB DATE Jul 94 NOTE 8p.; In: Issues Affecting Rural Communities. Proceedings of an International Conference Held by the Rural Education Research and Development Centre (Townsville, Queensland, Australia, July 10-15, 1994); see RC 020 376. PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)(120) Speeches/Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Adoption (Ideas); Change Agents; *Change Strategies; *Community Attitudes; Community Development; Context Effect; Cultural Influences; *Diffusion (Communication); Human Services; *Innovation; Program Development; Resistance to Change; Rural Areas; *Rural Development; Social Change IDENTIFIERS *Knowledge Utilization; Social Construction of Reality; World Views ABSTRACT This prtper analyzes principles of knowledge diffusion and provides a framework for applying new ideas or innovations, particularly in relation to rural community development. As new knowledge is created or old knowledge is found to have new applications, the art of spreading knowledge and managing innovation has become more crucial in both urban and rural communities. Change causes anxiety, and many innovations will encounter rejection. The diffusion of knowledge and of innovations in rural areas depends on the interpretation and communication by various stakeholders of the relative advantage of adopting an innovation. A critical component is effective marketing of an inrovation or program to help clarify its advantage t) the community. A second principle in knowledge diffusion suggests that the dissemination and use of innovations is constrained by the social, cultural, and organizational realities of the new context. Contextual forces often provide an explanation for resistance and for difficulties encountered in the dissemination of new knowledge, programs, or innovations. Equally important is the transactional nature of knowledge diffusion. Perceptions of the complexity, triability, and observability of an innovation will determine the rate of trial and adoption. This paper suggests that culture, norms, values, beliefs, and assumptions about life are major determinants of how individuals and communities view the world and change. The challenge of the innovator is to work within the social constructs of reality of those who will use and benefit from the new knowledge or program. Examples discuss introduction of innovations in human services delivery in rural areas. Contains 48 references. (LP) KEYNOTE ADDRESS KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION IN THE CONTEXT OF DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley USA U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS e nr I ducabonal Research and Imp,overne-' MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY E DUCA TIONALRE SOURCESINFORMATION CENTER !ERIC) doc,rnent h peen reproduced Is 'ece.red Iron, the ()emir,n or organization I M.o0, hanoes hare Peen made to ..C.M0411 D McSwan 'egYodue o0ald, 4, ..os 01,e. or 0otn.OnS slated In thIS docv .nenr an no, neCesSar.ly represent officIal TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 0E141 DOS.1.00 DolICY INFORMATION CENTER IERIC1' L1.34 IMO Is "tofu.. ... KEYNOTE ADDRESS KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION INTHE CONTEXT OFDEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS Emilia E. Martinez-Brawley USA are introduced in modernlife, their scope and pervasiveness. INTRODUCTION Modern changes have deeply affectedhuman relationships have Community Development has beendefined n many ways. It (Fitchen, 19C i)In the human services, lack of resources R, for new and creative is generally agreed, however,that it encompasses sxial, economic, pressed professionals in all fields to search political and cultural enhancementfor the purp,me of improving ways of insuring that ruralpeople receive the degree and quality of the quality of He of rural citizens andthat it must o-cur within a services they deserve. Citizens andprofessionals in rural framework of participation, respectfor diversity and self- communities have joined the searchfor new ideas, new knowledge determination, whether the particulardevelopment project utilizes or new programs that canalleviate their problems and satisfy their internal or external rc-jurces t",'>)ey & Wong,1994; Cary, 1973). needs Change and innovation havecertainly become thc order of the day. Development, when treated as a normative conceptis usually synonymous with improvementand social transformation Furthermore, as modern communication hasrendered the whole "jewels" which (Christenson, Fendley & Robinson,198)). In this process, the role world accessible, the search for the programmatic ever-increasing needs of the of community leadership in facilitatingthe dissemination of new might prove useful in meeting the ideas, the acceptance of new roles, thediscovery of new solutions countryside has taken on internationaldimensions. In the U.S., for or the replication of old ones,whether introduced into the example, federal, state and local governments,voluntary agencies community by insiders or outsider, emergeas central. By and for profit corporations are activelysearching lor new national borders.1 It can definition, rural community developmententails the introduction. approaches in the human services, across dissemination and adoption of new ideas,technologies, programs safely be assumed that the same is true inother countries. In has suggested that the or other changes by localpeople (Cawley, 1984; Huie, 1976), or relation to social problems, Schor (1988) the re-discovery of old ones for newand different purposes. As a best way to combat helplessness is toidentify innovations that help process, rural communitydevelopment is closely allied to and encourage their diffusion. It hasbecome apparent across the innovation, knowledge diffusionand transfer of technology world that, as new knowledge is created orold knowledge is found However, as suggested by Tarde(1903), the diffusion of to have new applications,the art of spreading knowledge and crucial in urban and rural knowledge is not an easy process.Unfortunately, of hundreds of managing innovation has become more novel ideas or innovations introduced at any onetime, very few communities (Smale & Tucson, 1992).We know, however, that probable that innovations will spread while the rest will remainedunnoticed. changes cause anxiety; thus, it is highly Whitehead suggested, the innovation in the contem of will encounter rejection. As Alfred North This paper will focus on the process of art of progress, improvement, or,for that matter, the art of rural community development.Knowledge diffusion theory and and change amid that might be useful to development is "to preserve order amid change practice will he used to suggest basic steps order" (Whitehead, 1988/1933). Thephilosopher understood the the ruil innovator. Can we identifybasic principles that can be Indubitably, as many introducing a new idea, fine complementarily of change and stability. used in rural development when community development veterans know, agood innovator must replicating an old one or simply spreading a concept,principle or which can allay the anxieties of those elsewhere? What can rural preserve some sense of order practice which may have worked who participate in the process. community leaders and prokssionalsdo to energize the process of replication and discovery of new knowledge inrural areas? In all DEFINITIONS AND BASIC THEMES spheres of life, but particularly in thehuman services, we cannot afford to discard "gems" that may haveworked elsewhere simply Before we proceed, a few definitions mightbe useful. The term because we are unable to translatethem into helpful local innovation simply means something new;change implies practices. Yet, the energies ofthe innovator often go into finding something different from the establishedorder or the common the "gems" while the process ofapplying them, cultivating them pattern. While many innovations arethe direct consequence of and letting them take new roots goesunattended. new discoveries in science ortechnology, many are only the result of applying very old principles inrelatively new ways or in new Even though seminal work onknowledge diffusion originated in and of itself neither positive nor & Shoemaker, 1971), rural contexts. An innovation is in the rural field (Rogers, 1983; Rogers positive or negative qualities existing, predictable patterns of negative. An innovation only takes on innovators have often disregarded searching for solutions to an existingproblem. 1979; Watson, 1983). as we pursue it, knowledge diffusion (Chatterjee & freys, Having confronted a problem whichresisted former solutions, a Innovators have frequently been perceived aseccentrics or people involved in the process to whose processes, though change or innovation allows those with "hairbrained" ideas (Smale, 1993), explore alternative ways of solving it. at times successful, may notdeserve systematic study and attention. Yet, particularly inthe human services, where "one is Among the better known work onknowledge diffusion and the dealing with human beings with deepand pressing needs, the transfer of innovations is that of Rogers(1983) and Rogers and disparaging of innovation is an immoralposition" (Governors Shoemaker (1971) Their work has given us aframework for Center, 1991:4). This paper willanalyze knowledge diffusion synthesizing some of the characteristicsof the innovations principles and suggest steps that can
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