Skip to main content

The Relevance of Rabindranath Tagore and Paulo Freire for Participatory Communication

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Narratives and New Voices from India

Part of the book series: Communication, Culture and Change in Asia ((CCCA,volume 8))

  • 145 Accesses

Abstract

Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941), Asia’s first Nobel Laureate, and the Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire (1921–1997) are part of a global network of pioneering educators who have striven to create non-authoritarian learning and dialogical communication systems, which are appropriate to their respective contexts. This chapter attempts to assess the relevance of Tagore’s ideas on education and Freire’s conscientization method in the field of development communication, especially participatory communication.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Appiah, K. A. (2006). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a world of strangers. Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, D. (2017). Tagore’s Brashmasharyasram: It is just a way to bridge the gap between theory and practice in Modern Indian Education System. https://www.academia.edu/6001938/Tagores_Brahmacharyasram?email_work_card=view-paper. Accessed on 19 November 2019.

  • Bagchi, S. (2018). Alternative paradigm of development—Tagore & Gandhi. http://www.vikalpsangam.org/article/alternative-paradigm-of-development-tagore-gandhi/. Accessed online on 1 November 2019.

  • Berrigan, F. J. (1977). Access: Some Western models of community media. UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berrigan, F. J. (1979). Community communications. The role of community media in development. UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bose, A. (2016, January). Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of education and development in India. Researchpaedia, 3(1), 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brear, M. (2018). Silence and voice in participatory processes—Causes, meanings and implication for empowerment. Oxford University Press and Community Development Journal.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R. (2007). Ideas for development. Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charvak, C. (2016). A note on the political appropriation of Tagore. In S. Majumdar & A. Chakraborty (Eds.), Rabindranath Tagore: Humanity and cultural affinity. ISBN978-93-80869-80-3. Accessed online 15 November 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chatterjee, M. (1991). Rabindranath Tagore: Sadhaka of universal man, Baul of infinite songs. http://academic.udayton.edu/monishchatterjee/tagore/sadhaka.html. Accessed 12 January 2020.

  • Chattopadhyay, A. (2017, September). Thoughts of Rabindranath Tagore on education in his writings. IJRDO-Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 2(9), Paper-6, 82–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chattopadhyay, K. (2014). Rural reconstruction in India: Views of Rabindranath Tagore. http://www.bethunecollege.ac.in/heritagejournal/journals/heritageJournalVolI2014/articles2014/RuralReconstruction-in-India-Heritage2014.pdf. Accessed on November 15, 2019.

  • Collins, M. (2008, October), Rabindranath Tagore and nationalism: An interpretation, Heidelberg Papers in South Asian and comparative politics. Working Paper No 42. https://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de

  • Dale, J. A., Glowacki-Dudka, M., & Hyslop-Margison, E. J. (2005). Lifelong learning as human ontology: A Freirean response to Human capital education. Adult Education Research Conference. http://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2005/papers/53

  • Dutta, L. D. (2017). Rabindranath Tagore and his thought regarding library of modern times. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 22(8), 13–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernández-Aballí Altamirano, A. (2016). Where is Paulo Freire? International Communication Gazette 78, 677–683. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048516655722

  • Freire, P. (1970). Cultural action for freedom. Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1973). Extension o comunicacion? La concientizacion en el medio rural. Siglo XXI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1974). Education for critical consciousness. Crossroad Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1983). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1994a). Pedagogy of hope. Reliving pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1994b). Foreword. In S., K. Nair, & J. Ascroft (Eds.), Participatory communication. Working for change and development. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1997). Pedagogy of the heart. Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuglesang, A. (1982). About understanding. Ideas and observations on cross-cultural communication. Dag Hammarskjold Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadl, G. (2007). ‘Community Media’? ‘Alternative Media’? Unpacking approaches to media By, For and Of the People, Institute of Communication Studies, University of Leeds http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/index.cfm?outfit=cicr

  • Kaushik, A. S. (2020). Rabindranath Tagore: A cosmopolitan nationalist. https://www.academia.edu/37531062/Rabindranath_Tagore_A_Cosmopolitan.pdf?email_work_card=view-paper. Accessed January 10, 2020.

  • Kennedy, T. (2008). Where the rivers meet the sky: A collaborative approach to participatory development. Southbound.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, T. (2020). Sure ducks. In J. Servaes (Ed.), Learning from communicators in social change—Rethinking the power of development. Springer Nature.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kundu, U. (2018, April). Lifelong learning and learning for life: As envisaged by Grundtvig, Tagore, Gandhi, and Friere. Educational Quest: An Int. J. of Education and Applied Social Science, 9(1), 19–23. https://doi.org/10.30954/2230-7311.2018.04.03

  • Kupfer, C. (2016). Atmosphere in education: Tagore and the phenomenology of spheres (pp. 51–81). http://dx.doi.org/10.14297/gnb.1.1.59-81; http://gitanjaliandbeyond.napier.ac.uk/. Accessed on October 15, 2019.

  • Lund, J. F., & Saito-Jensen, M. (2013). Revisiting the issue of elite capture of participatory initiatives. World Development, Elsevier, 46, 104–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sáez, M., & Manuel, V. (2020). Lessons on communication, development, and evaluation from a Freirean perspective. Development in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2020.1755232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manyozo, L. (2012). People’s radio. Communicating change across Africa. Southbound.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, C. (2015, May). Towards a Tagorean Utopia: From rural reconstruction to transition towns. Literature Compass, 12(5), 194–205

    Google Scholar 

  • Massey, G. (2012). Ways of social change. Making sense of modern times. Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaren, P., & Lankshear, C. (Eds.). (1994). Politics of liberation. Paths from Freire. Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nash, J. (Ed.). (2005). Social movements. An anthropological reader. Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Negt, O., & Kluge, A. (1973). Offentlichkeit und Erfahrung. Suhrkamp.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell, K. M. (2013). Rabindranath Tagore on education. https://infed.org/mobi/rabindranath-tagore-on-education/. Accessed on November 17, 2019.

  • Polk, E., & Servaes, J. (2015). Sustainability and participatory communication. A case-study of the Transition Town Amherst, MA. Management Communication Quarterly, 29(1), 160–167. https://doi.org/10.1177/0893318914563572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pushpanathan, T. (2013). Rabindranath Tagore s philosophy of education and its influence on Indian education. International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review, 1(4), 42–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quayum, M. A. (2016). Education for Tomorrow: The vision of Rabindranath Tagore. Asian Studies Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2015.1125441

  • Ray, P. P. (2017). Tagore’s vision of knowledge and its communication. Paper Library Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. Accessed on 8 February, 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Servaes, J. (1999). Communication for development. One world, multiple cultures. Hampton Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Servaes, J. (2007). Harnessing the UN system into a common approach on communication for development. The International Communication Gazette, Sage, 69(6), 483–507. http://gaz.sagepub.com

  • Servaes, J. (Ed.). (2013). Sustainability, participation and culture in communication. Theory and praxis. Intellect/University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Servaes, J., & Malikhao, P. (2017). The role and place of communication for sustainable social change (CSSC). International Social Science Journal, LXV(217/218), September–December 2014, 171-184

    Google Scholar 

  • Singhal, A. (2001, September). Facilitating community participation through communication. Report to GPP Programme Division, UNICEF, New York, 76pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srampickal, J. (1998). Voice of the voiceless. The power of people’s theatre in India. Manohar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagore, R. (1912). Gitanjali. Chiswick Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagore, R. (1915/1985). The home and the world. Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagore, R. (1916/1976). Nationalism. Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagore, R. (1966). Religion of man. Beacon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tagore, R. (2003). Rabindranath Tagore: Lover of god. Copper Canyon Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Servaes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Servaes, J. (2022). The Relevance of Rabindranath Tagore and Paulo Freire for Participatory Communication. In: Kaushik, A., Suchiang, A. (eds) Narratives and New Voices from India. Communication, Culture and Change in Asia, vol 8. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2496-5_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics