A Development of Communication Competency for Canal-Community Communicators

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to empower the communication competency for the canal community. With specific qualifications method and volunteer method, participants in the research were selected from the people in the communities along the Ladprao-Khlong Prem Canals and the 3rd and 4th year students of Communication Arts Program in the Faculty of Management Science at Phranakhon Rajabhat University. Data collecting tools included informal interviews, observations, and empowerment activities. The research found that the development process to empower the communication competency for the canal community started from brainstorming and then they designed the empowerment activity together.                                The activity was divided into 3 sessions: (1) canal community communicators, students of Communication Arts Program, and participants exchanged the experiences of the community situations along the; (2) they stimulated "Social Issues: How to call the social issues to media attention"; and (3) they practiced creating the communication tools to stimulate “Social Issues” by using specialized media for calling media attention in order that the community could make their own media manually and easily and the operational cost was low.