A research proposal about International Assistance and the Communication Field in Latin America

MARÍA SOLEDAD SEGURA

Simposio; Symposium on Foreign Aid and Journalism in Latin America and Africa: Developing a Research Agenda; 2017

The paper will examine the influence and impact of foreign aid on communication and media practice, research, education and policies in Latin America since the 1970s. In so doing, it aims at developing a research agenda to examine issues and problems arising from the intersection between communication, foreign aid and foreign policy in historical and current contexts. This research addresses to cover a vacancy in the regional communication studies: the material foundations of the Latin American communication field. Despite the relevance of international development assistance in this field, there are extremely few researches and publications concerning this issue. It is a subject that we don?t speak about, not only because talking about financing in general uses to be a taboo, but also because there are suspicions about the donors? interests and the beneficiaries? capitulations.My theoretical approach recognizes the unequal positions of power and the relations of dominance and dependence, but also assumes that even the more disempowered actors can make the difference in diverse levels of specific historical junctures. Thus, they can negotiate, fight, resist, re-signify, use the external assistance for different purposes and in distinctive ways. At the same time, it considers that not every foreign aid promotes the same ideology neither absolute control the applications that the local organizations make of their money.The questions this research agenda will approach to are:?Which has been the relation between foreign policy and foreign aid in Latin America??What has been the role of foreign aid in shaping practices of popular communication and community media; in communication approaches of research and education; and in communication policies in Latin America? ?Which have been the main donors and beneficiaries??What are the consequences? Which communication approaches and practices has international cooperation fostered or inhibited??What are the similarities and differences in the direct and indirect impacts of development assistance of communication from different donors??Which are the interests of the donors and those of the beneficiaries? How did they negotiate them??What are the continuities and discontinuities concerning the impact of development assistance on communication and media practice, research, education and policies in the post-Cold War era?We can clearly distinguish two periods: the 70s and 80s during de Cold War, and since the 90s during the Post-Cold War Era. As foreign policy from northern to southern countries changed, foreign aid, interests, approaches, donors and beneficiaries changed too. So, in order to answer these questions, first, I will analyze the organizations, subjects, context and consequences of foreign aid in communication and media field in the period between the 1970s and 1980s. Then, I will examine the continuities and discontinuities since 1990s until today. Finally, I will summarize the main conclusions.