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Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) - Call for papers!

Community Dialogue, Collective Action, and Social Change in Community Integrated Pest Management in a Selected Village in Cambodia

(Cambodia), Doctor of Philosophy in Development Communication (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Dissertation Abstract:

 

This study tried to gain an understanding about communication as a dialogic process working together with collective action to bring about social change in an integrated pest management (IPM) community in a selected village in Cambodia. Two groups of farmers were interviewed using structured questionnaires: 15 IPM Club members and 28 non-IPM Club members using convenience sampling. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using theme analysis and descriptive statistics.

The processes of community dialogue and collective action in the institutionalization of IPM farmer field school (FFS) included (1) recognition of the problems; (2) identification and involvement of leaders; (3) clarification of perception; (4) vision and objective; (5) assessment of current status; (6) options for actions, consensus on actions, and action plans; (7) assignment of responsibilities; (8) mobilization of organizations; and (9) implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

The IPM-FFS empowered the farmers to effectively carry out community dialogue and collective action, thus enhancing outcome indicators of social change in terms of leadership competency, information equity, collective self-efficacy, sense of ownership, social cohesion, and social norms. Improving knowledge, attitude, perception, and practice, as well as enhancing human and social capital, can enhance mutual understanding and perceptual convergence leading to collectivism, which is the prerequisite for successful pest management and IPM institutionalization at the community level.