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COMMUNICATOR for a CYBER AGE in Africa. Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services Kenya Session 2

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COMMUNICATOR for a CYBER AGE in Africa.

Edited by Fr. K D Tom Kunnel sdb Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (B.E.A.M.S) Salesians of Don Bosco Karen, 00502 Kenya

COMMUNICATOR FOR A CYBER-AGE IN AFRICA TABLE OF CONTENTS

Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa SECTION II CONTENT FOCUS Advanced Models of Communication Biblical Basis for Communication Communication in Liturgy SYLLABUS GUIDEPOST Lay - Secondary School– Form 3 and 4 - Introduction to Catechist Training Religious - Novitiate Priestly Formation - Minor Seminary Year 256 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa 2.1 Intra-Personal Communication 57 2.2 Communication and Self Management 65 2.3 Advanced Models of Communication 72 2.4 Visual Media 77 2.5 Characteristics of an Audio-Visual Culture 87 2.6 A Biblical Framework for Human Communication 92 2.7 Significance of Words According to Scripture 96 2.8 Guidelines for Liturgical Music 100 2.9 Drama in the Liturgy 107 2.10 Dance in the Liturgy 113 SECTION II57 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Procedure Ask each participant to get ready for a short “intra-personal discourse.” (If the group does not seem prepared to share their answers, do not insist on a sharing.) Honesty to self is important.

1. I am……..

2. People call me………………….

3. I prefer the name………….

4. I am.................. years of age 5. I like my self because: 6. I dislike my self because: 7. Read the list below. Mark a tick (α) alongside the details you are happy about and an (X) against the details you wish were different.

I am glad I have - my father - my mother - my brothers - my sisters - my family status - my home - my friends - my neighbourhood - my language - my culture - my religious faith - my family life style - my education 8. I have the following talents… 9. This is my hope and aspiration for the future: I wish to be… Input • As we went through this self-discovery checklist we noticed that there are things we are given as a part of our life, which we cannot change. E.g. our parents, our body, our culture, etc.

• However, there are other areas that we can develop and transform: e.g. our talents, our skills, our capacity to learn more or think more clearly, our ideals and future plans, etc.

• We must strive to develop wherever and whenever an opportunity comes. Alertness to the many opportunities is therefore very important and calls for plenty of risk-taking.

• On the other hand, what should we do with the “givens” in our life? There are plenty of things, areas, situations that we cannot change however hard we try. • In our growth to appreciate and love one another we must first start by appreciating ourselves. This may seem selfish but it could not be truer.

• Love of others begins with love of self. “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27.) The more we love and appreciate ourselves the better we will love others. The less we love and appreciate ourselves the less we will love others It follows that if we love and appreciate ourselves, and if we love and appreciate others, the better and healthier will our communication with others be.

Aim Materials Required [ To enable the participants to know and appreciate themselves.

[ To enable them realise the importance of self-esteem and love of self that facilitates healthy intra-personal communication.

[ To encourage intra-personal communication. • Provide each participant with the checklist in the procedure.

2.1 Intra - Personal Communication58 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Self-Concept If you have a membership card, for example the admittance to an athletic club and you are also chosen as a member of the track team, you have evidence of your identity as an athlete. You may begin to believe that you have athletic prowess; that belief then becomes an aspect of your self-concept. All of the beliefs and feelings you have about what you can do constitute your self-concept. Certificates help reinforce self-concepts. For example, if you have a newspaper clipping posted on the wall of your bedroom announcing that you are ‘Athlete of the Week’, and you also have a certificate that says you won first place in the region track event, you have documentary support for your belief and feeling about being an athlete. Self-concepts develop from at least two general sources of information: 1. Our own perception of ourselves, and 2. The reactions of others to us (often called the “looking-glass” self.) We get information from what we actually do, from how we feel about what we do, from how we think, we look doing things and from how we think we sound, look, etc. This suggests that you can change your self-concept by doing something new today. A new and different behaviour or experience, of course will provide a positive dimension to your self-concept only if the feelings and perceptions resulting from the experience are positive. That is, if you feel good about what you did and how you looked and sounded, you will derive a boost to your self-concept. On the other hand, the more negative our self- image, the more negative is our self talk and the more negative will our intra-personal communication be.

Parents and Educators have great responsibility of inculcating in their children a positive self-image because their negative remarks can adversely affect intra-personal communication. A retreat (a time of silence where one can get in touch with oneself and one’s God) is an excellent way of developing intra-personal communication.

The Private versus the Public Self Another important communication variable is the relationship between the public self and the private self. This distinction is well illustrated by the Johari Window designed by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham. According to psychologists Joseph (Joe) Luft and Harry Ingham, our self is like a window with four sections. Each section stands for a dimension of ourselves as below: Johari Window 1 open (Arena) That which i know And others know 2 Blind That which i don’t know But others know 3 Hidden (Façade) That which i know But others don’t know 4 Dark That which i don’t know And others don’t know If we want to be happy, which section of the window do you think has to be broadened? It is the Open (Arena), of course, because this area makes you free and relaxed in the presence of others, and even with yourself.

The following example will show you how the Johari window applies to a particular communication situation.

Timo and Tony share their reflections after their three months community experience. Timo tells Tony that he had a good time (open) but does not tell him that he has doubts whether to continue in religious life (hidden). Tony senses that Timo is uneasy about his recent experiences although he claims that he is fine (blind). Timo wants to go for a month long retreat. He tells Tony that he wants to think things over (the end decision is the unknown.)59 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Open (Arena) Feedback The ‘Open arena’ can be extended in the following ways: i. By working on the blind area through: a. Skillfully engaging those around me to share their perceptions of me.

b. Behaving in ways that would prompt feedback from others.

ii. By reducing the hidden area through: a. Self-disclosure: volunteering information about myself.

b. Behaving in a manner that encourages others to ask for information about me.

iii. Monitoring our reactions to new experiences e.g. through journalizing, will enable us reduce the ‘unknown’. iv. In fact once the twin processes of feedback and exposure are set in motion this third process will occur naturally, since feedback and exposure builds self acceptance.

v. In this journey, it is important to journey with some mature person or a mentor. This person can give you mature feedback.

I am an Iceberg Exposure Behaviour Feelings Thoughts Beliefs Worldview/Paradigm Trigger60 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa The self is like an iceberg. Only one seventh of an iceberg is actually seen on top of the water. The other six parts are within the water. Similarly, what we see in a person is basically their behaviour. But hidden below this visible behaviour are a whole lot of elements (at least five aspects) that influence the behaviour. Let us understand these elements at a deeper level.

Worldview or Paradigm It is made up of a set of beliefs, that you have accepted as true on the basis of your past experience, reflection and knowledge. It is on the basis of this worldview or paradigm that you interpret all that goes on around you. It is on this basis that you fit in every new experience. E.g. “Others have a big say in my happiness. “ Beliefs Belief is a unit of paradigm that I accept without giving reason to it every time. I know it is just true. E.g. I can be happy only when everyone around likes me.

Trigger When an event occurs, it can act as a trigger to give rise to thoughts, feelings and behaviour on the basis of our beliefs and paradigm. E.g. my roommate spoke harshly to me.

Thought Thoughts are particular stimuli that are happening in our mind, as rational realities. We basically think in terms of pictures in the mind or through self talk. Often we are not really aware of our thoughts. They automatically flow from our beliefs reacting to a particular situation. E.g. my roommate does not like me. Why does he/she not like me? Maybe he/she is judging me because of what I said yesterday. Maybe my enemy has reported something… Feelings Influenced by our thoughts, feelings denote an emotional state. E.g. I feel angry towards my roommate.

Behaviour Influenced by our thoughts and feelings, behaviour is the way we respond to the external world – people and things. E.g. I cannot sleep tonight. Next morning, I shout back at my roommate.

If we understand that our external behaviour is influenced by our paradigms, beliefs, thoughts and beliefs, then how can I handle myself? 1. I need to constantly review my paradigms and beliefs. If I am constantly unhappy, if I am not effective in my daily life, in the way I deal with myself, in the way I deal with people and the world around me, I am probably living with too many anomalies (contradicting paradigms) in myself. This calls for a review. 2. I need to take control of my thoughts. Not allowing myself to become a slave of the triggers (events that happen around me.) I need to constantly monitor my self-talk. I need to monitor the pictures that are running in my head. If I have positive self-talk, my feelings and behaviours can also be positive. You can say, for example, that in the next 24 hours I will constantly monitor my thoughts and see if I can encourage positive self talk.

3. To bring about change in your mind, and subsequently in your behaviour, you can begin with your body because the mind and body work in unity. For example, on a day that you don’t feel very fresh, you will tend to sit in very relaxed and inattentive manner. This may cause a feeling of depression. To regulate this, try washing your face with cold water and then sitting straight. Your mind will wake up.

4. Journal writing and sharing with a soul friend about the aspects of your paradigms and beliefs can help a great deal in understanding yourself and moving towards growth.

In conclusion, intra-personal communication is important because it helps us become aware of our worth and dignity in order to be able to discover the same in others. Our self-communication, though private, is the basis for a healthy communication with the world around us.

Where are your Roots? Rooted in Layer 1: For some people the root could be at the level of “Where Am I?” They may draw their self-identity from their family background or their ethnicity, etc. In such a situation, when their ethnicity is threatened they feel that their self is threatened. A plant rooted in the outer layer dries very fast.

Rooted in Layer 2: For others, their root may be in their talents and skills, in their qualities and characters – in the layer of “How Am I?” Though this layer is deeper than the level of Where Am I, it is not deep enough. Hence, inability to use their talents or the limitations of their personalities may sometimes paralyse these individuals.61 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Rooted in Layer 3: A healthy base for the self is a deep appreciation of the mystery and the uniqueness of the self. This level asks, “Who am I?” It is an awareness that, after all, I am more than all the paraphernalia (decorations) that I put around my self. I am distinct from the roles I play. When the plant of my self-image is rooted in this deeper layer, I am at peace with myself all the time. It not only becomes easy to accept other people’s reaction towards me, but I also keep growing towards becoming my best self. The creation story in the book of Genesis tells us that we are all created in the image of God. It is in this third layer that we are in the image of God (Imago Dei). The implication of this is that when we become more and more aware of this inner self, we become more and more aware of who God is. Secondly, basing our self-worth at this deeper layer gives us a strong self-esteem that flows from the fact that God is unchangeable. This rooted-ness leads us to a deeper appreciation of other people too. We appreciate that they too are created in the image of God.

Self Esteem in Africa International literature consistently links violence to low self-esteem and “fragile self-concepts”. This study is especially true in South Africa where violence is rampant. Although at one stage analysts believed that aggression may be linked to high self-esteem, this has since been refuted by research which finds that aggression is associated with a type of insecure and easily threatened inflated self-image which is underpinned by anxiety about one’s worth or status. In effect, it is a sign of a disguised low self-esteem. Any disagreement or criticism, or even a perceived lack of consideration, may be experienced as undermining and threatening to one’s self-image, thus provoking aggression. Low self-esteem on its own then is not a predictor of violence. But the roots of violence are often found in mental- emotional states which serve as a psychological defense or compensation for low self-esteem. Perhaps the most important of these for understanding why people react very aggressively to minor insults (whether real or perceived), is a state of mind, dominated by low self-esteem, which is associated with an inflated idea of one’s own worth or status. Review 1. Intra-personal communication is a process in which messages are sent and received within an individual.

2. In life, there are things that we are given by God that we cannot change and things which we can do something about like our skills and talents. These we must strive to develop with the opportunities that come our way.

3. To appreciate and love another, we must first appreciate and love ourselves.

4. Once we love and appreciate ourselves and others, our inter-personal communication becomes healthy.

5. When a healthy person engages in self-talk, they boost their self-confidence and in turn improve their inter- personal relationships.

6. Parents and educators have a big responsibility to develop healthy intra-personal relationships so as to develop in their children a healthy self-concept.

7. Our self is like a window with four sections. Each section stands for a dimension of ourselves - the open, blind, hidden and dark sections.

8. To be happy, we need to broaden the open section of ourselves.

9. The ‘Open arena’ can be extended by: working on the blind area, reducing the hidden area and monitoring our reactions to new experiences.

10. The self is like an iceberg. Only one seventh of it is seen on top of the water. Similarly, what we see in a person is their behaviour but hidden below this visible behaviour are other elements that influence the behaviour. They include: behaviour itself, feelings, thoughts, beliefs and worldview also known as paradigm.

11. Aggression is often associated with a type of insecure and easily threatened inflated self-image which is underpinned by anxiety about one’s worth or status which results in a disguised low self-esteem. Reflection Here is an exercise: Imagine you were John. Below we explain John’s self-image. Can you provide the self-talk that must be going on in John’s mind with regard to: • His self-image? • His inter-personal communication? John is a college student in a top-rate college. He joined the campus after completing his high school studies. However, he is not comfortable with himself. He notices that he is not as talented as the other boys in the campus and constantly puts himself down on his abilities although others think that he is equally talented. 62 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Although several of his friends and family have complemented him for his designs, he is not convinced that they are good enough to enter the competition let alone win it. However, due to pressure from his friends, he plucks up courage and decides to give the competition a try. His self-talk however does not change and he constantly doubts himself. The outcome could be: 1. Positive: His designs win the competition.

2. Negative: He fails to secure a place among the winners.

How would John interpret to himself the two responses? HinT: At the second response, his belief that he is not as talented as the other boys may be reinforced and he may blame himself for ever wanting to give the competition a shot. (Can you guess the self-talk?) At the first response, he will be delighted. The self talk would probably be like this: The judges were kind enough to select my design as the best. They probably don’t have much experience and their judgement is therefore not competent or, the chief judge is a good friend of my father’s, he was probably doing me a favour by selecting me as the winner. The question we need to ask John is this: How long will your lack of self-esteem continue to dominate your negative and self-depreciating intra-personal relationship which is giving rise to an unhealthy self-concept? And if you decide to pursue design as a career, won’t your unhealthy self-concept keep you from believing in your ability and doing your best? Relevant Skills a) Repeat the self knowledge exercise after the procedure individually and as honestly as possible. Resolve to think positively about yourself and to build your self-esteem.

b) Repeat to yourself many times a day, “I am loveable and capable and God made me so.” Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. Reference Barker L. Larry. Communication. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1978.

Pace R. Wayn, Brent D Peterson and Burnett M. Dallas. Techniques for Effective Communication. Philippines: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1979.63 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Aim • To know and appreciate oneself.

• To encourage healthy intra-personal communication.

• To realise the importance of self-esteem and love of self that facilitates healthy intra-personal communication.

Procedure Get ready for a short “intra-personal discourse” Honesty to self is important.

1. I am……..

2. People call me………………….

3. I prefer the name………….

4. I am........................years of age 5. I like my self because: 6. I dislike my self because: 7. Read the list below. Mark a tick (α) alongside the details you are happy about and an (X) against the details you wish were different.

I am glad I have - my father - my mother - my brothers - my sisters - my family status - my home - my friends - my neighbourhood - my language - my culture - my religious faith - my family life style - my education 8. I have the following talents… 9. This is my hope and aspiration for the future: I wish to be… Review 1. Intra-personal communication is the process in which messages are sent and received within an individual.

3. To appreciate and love another, we must first appreciate and love ourselves.

4. Once we love and appreciate ourselves and others, our inter-personal communication becomes healthy.

5. When a healthy person engages in self-talk, they boost their self-confidence and in turn improve their inter- personal relationships.

6. Parents and educators have a big responsibility to develop healthy intra-personal relationships so as to develop in their young ones a healthy self-concept.

7. Our self is like a window with four sections. Each section stands for a dimension of ourselves – the open, blind, hidden and dark sections.

8. To be happy, we need to broaden the open section of ourselves.

9. The ‘Open arena’ can be extended by: working on the blind area, reducing the hidden area and monitoring our reactions to new experiences.

10. The self is like an iceberg. Only one seventh of it is seen on top of the water. Similarly, what we see in a person is their behaviour but hidden below this visible behaviour are other elements that influence the behaviour. They include: Behaviour itself, feelings, thoughts, beliefs and worldview also known as paradigm.

11. Aggression is often associated with a type of insecure and easily threatened inflated self-image which is underpinned by anxiety about one’s worth or status which results in a disguised low self-esteem. CHAPTER 2.1 PARTiCiPAnT’S HAnDouT Intra - Personal Communication COMMUNICATOR FOR A CYBER AGE IN AFRICA Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services - BEAMS Publication, Kenya. beams@donbosco.or.ke64 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Reflection Here is an exercise: Imagine you are John. Below we explain John’s self-image. Can you provide the self-talk that must be going on in John’s mind with regard to: • His self-image? • His inter-personal communication? John is a college student in a top-rate college. He joined the campus after completing his high school studies. However, he is not comfortable with himself. He notices that he is not as talented as the other boys in the campus and constantly puts himself down on his abilities although others think that he is equally talented. Although several of his friends and family have complemented him for his designs, he is not convinced that they are good enough to enter the competition let alone win it. However, due to pressure from his friends, he plucks up courage and decides to give the competition a try. His self-talk however does not change and he constantly doubts himself. The outcome could be: 1. Positive: His designs win the competition.

2. Negative: He fails to secure a place among the winners.

How would John interpret to himself the two responses? Relevant Skills a) Repeat the self knowledge exercise after the procedure individually and as honestly as possible. Resolve to think positively about yourself and to build your self-esteem.

b) Repeat to yourself many times a day, “I am loveable and capable and God made me so.” Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. Reference Barker L. Larry. Communication. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1978.

Pace R. Wayn, Brent D Peterson and Burnett M. Dallas. Techniques for Effective Communication. Philippines: Addison- Wesley Publishing Company, 1979.65 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Procedure • Ask the participants to complete this picture • Now let them share their picture. Make no comments.

• Many will draw trees, roads, houses in the distance, people passing by. The essential things that need to be included are: a driver and the reins leading to the horse. This, however should not be told to the participants • Ask them to put away their drawings while they listen to you.

Input • African scholars regard African concepts of the individual and self to be almost totally dependent on and subordinate to social entities and cultural processes. Kenyan theology professor John S. Mbiti, for example, believes that the individual has little latitude for self determination outside the context of the traditional African family and community. He writes: “Whatever happens to the individual happens to the whole group, and whatever happens to the whole group happens to the individual. The individual can only say: ‘I am, because we are; and since we are, therefore I am. ‘’This is a cardinal point in the understanding of the African view of man” (1969:109) • Developing positive self-images and self-discipline is a prerequisite for the effective education of African children. However, the following factors have had a negative influence on their development: (1) chronic unemployment and underemployment; (2) the changing concept of childhood; (3) elitism; (4) low expectations; and (5) lack of commitment to educating all children; • The following institutions should strive to emphasize African images that are instrumental in developing self-esteem in African children: (1) the home; (2) the peer group; (3) media; (4) the school; and (5) the church.

• If knowing and accepting our identity (who we are and what our purpose is in life) is important, all the more important is the knowledge of how we ought to discipline and manage ourselves. This self-management is a way of allowing our self-talk to link up with decision making and action.

• Simply knowing our identity and accepting it does not automatically mean that we will follow and live by the principles we know to be true. Simply ‘self-talking’ may never lead us to getting ourselves to decide on what is Aim Materials Required [ To emphasise self-management (self discipline) as an important form of intra-personal communication. [ An outline drawing of a horse pulling a cart without a driver.

2.2 Communication and Self-Management66 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa to be done. We instead have to discipline our wills daily to live by our principles and our values. Mechanical instruments for example are designed for a particular purpose and automatically serve that purpose till their guarantee is over. • Because we have the capacity of human freedom, we have a choice to make the right moves or to make the wrong choices in life. Our wrong choices could be disastrous since they could go counter to our very purpose in life. They could be harmful to the fulfilling of our tasks and duties as human beings. We therefore need to develop healthy intra-personal communication questions that affect self-discipline, or better, self-management. We need to trim, shape, plan and make sacrifices for our choices so that we do not waste our energies in pursuing the wrong things. Here are some intra-personal communication questions that affect self-management: 1. What is my Aim in Life? Having known who we are – our past (history, culture, heritage…) our present (gifts, talents…) we need to know where we are headed. If life is a gift given freely to us, it is our responsibility to use it well. We need to chalk out our aim. • The question we must ask is “Who do I want to be?” which is not the same as saying “What do I want to do?” This is a question about character formation. It is fundamental to life. It is the primary question on which all other choices rest – even the answer to the second question.

• “What do I want to do?” This is a question about qualifications, careers, choice of profession, etc.

2. What Assets do i Have to Reach my Goal? • I can answer this question only after I have asked the questions below: 3. Who do i Want to Be? - What Assets do i Have to be the Person i Want to be? • Here one will require looking at the personality development training one has already received through upbringing, education, training etc. What are the situations one has gone through that have helped to shape one’s character? Sometimes past mistakes can be reflected upon in such a way that they become stepping stones to a better life. With hindsight, these too may be seen as assets.

4. What do i Want to do? What Assets do i Have to Reach There? • Here one would have to check out one’s capabilities and talents. What does one like doing best, how well does one do it? How many people have shaped and encouraged one’s capabilities in the direction of one’s goal? It is important to note that choosing what one wishes to do in life comes after considerable experience and exposure to many choices. For example, it would be unwise to decide while one is in the 5 th standard, what one wishes to do in life and pursue only that line of action. As one grows out of school more choices and avenues open up and the focus on what one wishes to do must take into consideration these experiences in order to arrive at a mature decision.

The importance of Self-Discipline: • If one wishes to fulfill one’s aim in life, if one wants to arrive at the target one has set for one’s self, the path is self-discipline. The blinkers on a horse and the reins held by the driver are a wonderful example to illustrate our point.

• The blinkers are checks to enable the horse see only the road ahead and not be distracted or frightened by the goings-on around. The reins direct the horse towards its particular destination.

• In our life too, we need blinkers and reins. When we were young others put them on for us and others held the reins for us. These are our parents, guardians and our educators. They decide for us, to enable us take the right step, to make the right move, to follow the road that leads to our destination. Obviously, this is a task of great responsibility.

• But as we grow older – as we enter into adolescence they leave us more and more to ourselves. We do not want them to “interfere” as we need to learn how to manage our “horse-carriage”, our life, by ourselves. However, our decisions still affect them and the larger community and the responsibility to make wise decisions is left in our hands. We never really do away with them.

• Only the foolish, the unwise rush in to remove the “blinkers” and throw away the “reins”. They are the ones who do not bother about self-discipline. They are the ones who want to “have fun” while there is time. But they are also the ones who make a mess of their lives – lost in the myriad of distractions on the many wrong roads they have taken.

Manage Your Stress As we pursue our life goals, we will come across moments when we will experience stress from our workload, internal problems, our environments, roadblocks along the way etc. To continue on our journey, we will have to learn how to manage the stress effectively and to protect ourselves from the consequences of unmanaged stress.67 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa To protect ourselves from the risks of being unable to manage stress, we can practice stress management skills. Stress management skills are techniques that can be used to cope with the harmful effects produced by stress. There are two types of stress management skills. The first type of skills focus on doing something about the cause of our stress while the second type focus on keeping our bodies healthy and relieving anxiety.

Physical Care: Eating a Healthy Diet Eating a well-balanced diet is always wise, but it is especially important when you are stressed. During the alarm stage of stress, adrenaline is secreted into the bloodstream. When adrenaline is secreted, your body uses vitamins B and C. It is very important that you obtain sources of these vitamins. Vitamin B is found in foods such as whole grain cereals, rice, legumes, and breads. Vitamin C is found in foods such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, limes, lemons, and broccoli. Reduce Caffeine Caffeine is a stimulant drug that increases the rate of bodily activities. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola beverages, and chocolate. Because bodily activities are already increased during the stress response, it is helpful to avoid caffeine when you are stressed. Getting Enough Rest and Sleep Without rest and sleep you will find it difficult to reduce your stress levels. You may feel irritable, exhausted, and anxious. When you are resting, your blood pressure lowers and heart rate slows. Your muscles relax, and your body has a chance to rest. After getting enough sleep, you feel invigorated and ready to face the day’s challenges. Many people need to have at least nine hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

Participating in Physical Activities Physical activities such as running, walking, swimming, rollerblading, and playing basketball can help reduce stress. Vigorous physical activity relieves tension by providing a physical outlet for the energy that builds up with stress.

When you are physically fit, you recover from the effects of stress more quickly. You are less likely to develop diseases because of stress. Improved physical fitness levels have been linked to a decrease in the severity of the stress response, a shorter recovery time from stress, and improved resistance to disease. Effective Life Skills: Using a Time Management Plan Have a list of things you are expected to do in a week. Then translate them into a daily action plan. If you think they are too many to be done within a given time, reduce them by making alternatives, seeking help, and explaining to those you had promised.

Using Decision-Making Skills Avoid procrastination. Use proactive decision making skills – foresee a situation and solve it before it becomes an issue.

Having Close Friend(s) Having close friends helps one cope with stress. When you are with close friends, you can share your feelings and experiences without being judged. Your close friends will listen and offer suggestions on ways to handle the situations that are causing stress. They may share similar experiences. Often, just having close friends listen can make you feel better and reduce stress.

Talking with Parents and Other Adults you trust. You can express thoughts, feelings, and concerns with parents and other caring and trustworthy adults. They listen and are supportive. They can help you develop useful ways to solve the problem that is causing stress. Helping Others There are many ways that you can help others. You might tutor a younger student, volunteer at a nursing home, or help an elderly person in your neighbourhood. When you are stressed, helping others gives you a different outlook. You feel useful because you are able to help. This results in a feeling that has been called a “helper’s high.” Helping people less fortunate than yourself can make stressful situations seem less important. 68 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Change Your Outlook Reframing is changing your outlook in order to see a situation in a more positive way. Changing your outlook helps to turn life’s obstacles into challenges. For example, your family may move into a new school district. Instead of being stressed because you have left your friends, you feel challenged and look forward to making new friends. Keeping a Sense of Humour A good laugh is a positive way to manage stress. Heart rate, blood pressure rate, and muscular tension drop below normal levels after a hearty laugh. As a result you feel more relaxed. The greatest benefit of humour is its ability to alter your outlook.

Soup for the Soul Since human beings are physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual beings, try the following solutions to have that “good feeling”: a) Write a Journal Writing about your stress is a healthy way to express your feelings and may help you work through your stress. Try to find a quiet place where you can write your journal. The easiest way to start a journal is simply to write about issues that concern you today. Writing a journal has been shown to elevate the number of Helper-T cells in the body. You may want to share what you have written with someone you trust. b) Meditation or Using Breathing Techniques Spend some time every day to quieten yourself. When you feel stressed, your body begins the stress response. Your body gets ready for an emergency. It can be helpful to reverse this response and calm yourself. You can breathe in deeply and breathe out for some minutes every day. You may combine this with repeating a verse from the Bible.

c) Make Use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a powerful means of unburdening yourself, especially to avoid stress caused by guilt. As a sacrament, it mediates grace, but it is also comparable to a psychological tool of counseling. d) Have a Spiritual Director Together with the sacrament of reconciliation, spiritual direction is another way of dealing with stress, and proceeding on with your growth process. In spiritual direction you share things that affect your daily life – your relationship with yourself, others and with God. You are not obliged to share matters of conscience, as you do in confession. Review 1. The individual has little latitude for self determination outside the context of the traditional African family and community.

2. Developing positive self-images and self-discipline is a prerequisite for the effective education of African children. 3. Factors that have had a negative influence on the development of African children: (1) chronic unemployment and under-employment; (2) the changing concept of childhood; (3) elitism; (4) low expectations; and (5) lack of commitment to educating all children.

4. Self-management is a way of allowing our self-talk to link up with decision making and action.

5. Effective life-skills such as use of a time management plan, using responsible decision making skills, talking with parents and other trusted adults, helping others etc. help one to manage stress and live a more balanced life.

Reflection Do you know of someone whose decisions have caused his family a lot of pain? E.g. through irresponsible drinking, drunk driving, theft? The fact is that whether or not we take a hold of our reins, our decisions still affect our community. Reflect on ways we can strengthen our self-discipline to be able to make more responsible decisions about our lives.

Relevant Skills a) Reflect on who you would want to become. Set goals and state how you will pursue them.

b) Reflect on past experiences, both good and bad. How have they shaped your character?69 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. References www.africa.ufl.edu www.webporta.com70 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Aim • To emphasise self-management (self discipline) as an important form of intra-personal communication.

Procedure • Participants please complete this picture Soup for the Soul Since human beings are physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual beings, try the following solutions to have that “good feeling”: a) Write in a Journal Writing about your stress is a healthy way to express your feelings and may help you work through your stress. Try to find a quiet place where you can write in your journal. The easiest way to start a journal is simply to write about issues that concern you today. Writing a journal has been shown to elevate the number of Helper-T cells in the body. You may want to share what you have written with someone you trust. b) Meditation or Just Using Breathing Techniques Spend some time every day to quieten yourself. When you feel stressed, your body begins the stress response. Your body gets ready for an emergency. It can be helpful to reverse this response and calm yourself. You can breathe in deeply and breathe out for some minutes every day. You may combine this with repeating a verse from the Bible.

CHAPTER 2.2 PARTiCiPAnT’S HAnDouT Communication and Self-Management COMMUNICATOR FOR A CYBER AGE IN AFRICA Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services - BEAMS Publication, Kenya. beams@donbosco.or.ke71 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa 4. Self-management is a way of allowing our self-talk to link up with decision making and action.

Relevant Skills a) Reflect on who you would want to become. Set goals and do your best to pursue them.

b) Reflect on past experiences, both good and bad. How have they shaped your character? Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. References www.africa.ufl.edu www.webporta.com72 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Input Whether we realise it or not, we are using models every time we try to systematically think about, visualise or discuss any structure or process be it past, present or future. The effectiveness of such activity will depend in large measure on how well our model fits the thing we are supposedly modelling. In this chapter, the structures and processes we are interested in modelling have to do with how humans communicate, especially with the mass media. This can be the way one individual deals with reality within his own mind, how a newspaper, television network, advertising agency or information office is structured and functions, how information flows in a society, or how innovations are adopted or rejected in a social system.

A model may be defined as “a theoretical and simplified representation of the real world.” Or a structure of symbols and operating rules which are supposed to match a set of relevant points in an existing structure or process. In this session, we shall take up only some very basic examples. (Severin and Tankard, 1979) a) Lasswell’s model was the first. It allows for many general applications in mass communication. He implies that more than one channel can carry a message. The “who” raises the question of the control of the messages as for example the gate-keeper. The “says what” is the subject of content analysis e.g. the studies of the portrayal of minorities in the media. Communication channels are studies in media analysis. “To who” deals with the receiver and audience analysis. “With what effect” is the result of the audience receiving the message. Lasswel’s model has been criticised because it seems to imply the presence of a communicator and a purposive message. It has also been termed as oversimplified, but, as with any good model, it focused attention on important aspects of communication. (Severin and Tankard, 1979) Aim Materials Required [ To study the development of communication through a selection of models created by communication scientists . [ Present the models given in the input and comment on each with the help of the input provided.

2.3 Advanced Models of Communication73 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa b) Braddock: Extends the Lasswell Formula to emphasise other complex features of the communication process, viz. the circumstance, purpose and feedback.

c) Shannon and Weaver: In this model the information source produces a message to be communicated out of a set of possible messages. The message may consist of spoken or written words, or music, pictures, etc. The transmitter converts the message to a signal suitable for the channel to be used. The channel is the medium which transmits the signal from transmitter to receiver. In conversation the information source is the brain, the transmitter is the voice mechanism producing the signal (spoken words) transmitted through the air (the channel). The receiver performs the inverse operation of the transmitter by reconstructing the message from the signal. The destination is the person or thing for whom the message is intended. Other major contributions of Shannon and Weaver are the concepts of a message composed of entropy and redundancy and the necessary balance between them for efficient communication while offsetting noise in a channel. The more noise in a channel, the greater the need for redundancy, which reduces the relative entropy of the message. For example, the wireless telegrapher transmitting in a noisy channel repeats key portions of the message to ensure reception. By using redundancy to overcome the noise in the channel, the amount of information which can be transmitted in a given time is reduced (Severin and Tankard, 1979).

d) Schramm’s mass communication model: shows the production and distribution of messages to a mass audience. The audience receives the message, having interpreted and decoded it, within its social groups which in turn encode, interpret and decode the message received. The feedback received by the sender is inferred or indirectly obtained through news sources.74 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa e) John and Matilda Riley: pose a model in which the process of communication is an integral part of the social system. Both the Communicator and the recipient are affected by the three social orders, namely: the primary group(s) of which they are members, the larger social structure (the immediate community-social cultural, industrial) to which they belong and the overall social system. All these are in dynamic interaction, with messages flowing multi-directionally. Thus the C and R are neither passive nor isolated but are related and their messages are patterned in terms of these relationships.

f) Maletzke’s model: of the mass communication process is extremely useful because of its comprehensiveness and the complex interaction of the factors at play. The self-image of the communicator corresponds with that of the receiver. Both act upon and are influenced by the Message which is itself constrained by the dictates of the Medium chosen. To add to the complexity, the message is influenced by the communicator’s image of the receiver’s image of the communicator. Maletzke’s is a model suggesting that in the communication process, many shoulders are being looked over. The more the shoulders, the more compromises, the more adjustments.

Thus not only is the communicator taking into due regard the medium and the nature of the audience, and perceiving these things through the filter of self-image and personality structure, he or she is also keenly responsive to other factors - the communication team, with its own special set of values and professional practices. Beyond the team, there is the organisation which in turn has to look over its shoulder towards government or the general public.

Just as the communicator is a member of a team within an organisational environment, so the receiver is part of a larger context of reception. He or she is subject to influences other than the media message. Those influences may start in the living room of a family home, and the influencers might be the viewer’s or reader’s family, but there are contextual influences beyond that - in the pub, at work, in the community. The complexity suggests an almost limitless interaction of variables which indicates the enormous difficulty faced by research into mass media and its effects.75 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Review 1. Lasswell’s model implies that more than one channel can carry a message. It has been criticised because it seems to imply the presence of a communicator and a purposive message. It has also been termed as oversimplified.

2. Braddock extends Lasswell’s Formula to emphasise other complex features of the mass communication process. 3. Shannon and Weaver introduce the concept of a message composed of entropy and redundancy and the necessary balance between them for efficient communication while offsetting noise in the channel.

4. Wilber Schramm deals with communication as an interaction between two parties. There is also feedback and the continuous ‘loop’ of shared information.

5. Schramm’s mass communication model depicts how messages are sent and received from a mass audience.

6. John and Riley present a communication model in which the process of communication is an integral part of the social system. Both the communicator and the recipient are affected by the three social orders: the primary group, the larger social group and the overall social system.

7. Maletzke’s model is quite resourceful because of its comprehensiveness and the complexity of factors at play. Reflection The overall social system affects decisions made at the primary group level (Family level). In terms of your life vocation, how are your decisions affected by the overall social system? Relevant Skills Observe the traditional setting of an elderly grandmother telling folk-tales to her grandchildren. Construct a representative model of communication based on this. In what ways is it similar to the models you have already studied? In what ways is it different? Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. References Severine J. Werner and James W. Tankard Jr. Communication Theories. Toronto: Copp Clark Ltd., 1992.76 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Aim • To study the development of communication through a selection of models created by communication scientists Review 1. Lasswell’s model implies that more than one channel can carry a message. It has been criticised because it seems to imply the presence of a communicator and a purposive message. It has also been termed as oversimplified.

4. Wilber Schramm deals with communication as an interaction between two parties. There is also feedback and the continuous ‘loop’ of shared information.

5. Schramm’s mass communication model depicts how messages are sent and received from a mass audience.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. References Severine J. Werner and James W. Tankard Jr. Communication Theories. Toronto: Copp Clark Ltd., 1992.

CHAPTER 2.3 PARTiCiPAnT’S HAnDouT Advanced Models of Communication COMMUNICATOR FOR A CYBER AGE IN AFRICA Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services - BEAMS Publication, Kenya. beams@donbosco.or.ke77 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Input introduction Visual communication is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon. Primarily associated with two dimensional images, it includes art, signs, photography, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, colour and electronic resources. The National Education Association of the US has pointed out that western civilisation has become more dependent than ever on visual culture, visual artifacts and visual communication as a mode of discourse and a means of developing social and cultural identity. And Africa is not left far behind in this respect. This can be seen in the content of magazines and books as well as documentaries. What’s more intriguing is that there is evidence to suggest that people not only communicate visually now more than ever, they also communicate better when they communicate visually. This is an important revelation to those who create presentations for work or education.

Psychologist Jerome Bruner of New York University described studies that show that people only remember 10% of what they hear and 20% of what they read, but about 70% of what they see and do.

In this chapter, we shall look at the forms of visual media as well as a history of our African visual media and alternative media.

Alternative Media Alternative media are also called group media as distinguished from mass media. These forms of media are easy to use, cheap and pertain to local issues. They are alternative forms of exercising change and social transformation in society and operate at the grass-root levels. In this sense they are democratic and liberating - as opposed to mass media that are centrally controlled and that communicate the message that the sender considers important. In this chapter, we will explore traditional African art and the various forms of alternative media. The choice of media selected and the duration of the period will be left to the discretion of the educator. History of African Art African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on world over. Though many casual observers tend to generalize “traditional” African art, the continent is full of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African Diasporas, such as the art of African Americans. Despite this diversity, there are some unifying artistic themes when considering the totality of the visual culture from the continent of Africa. These are: * Emphasis on the human figure: The human figure is the primary subject matter for most African art. In historical periods involving trade between Africa and Europe, the introduction of the human body into existing European pottery and other art forms can reliably be taken as evidence of contact with African cultures. For example in the fifteenth century Portugal traded with the Sapi culture near the Ivory Coast in West Africa, who created elaborate ivory salt Aim Materials Required [ To learn alternative ways of communicating through low-cost visual media.

[ To help participants learn the basic techniques of visualisation in order to give their communication greater impact.

[ Paper and Pen.

[ A number of examples to exhibit and explain the points stated in the input.

2.4 Visual Media78 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa cellars that were hybrids of African and European designs, most notably in the addition of the human figure (the human figure typically did not appear in Portuguese salt cellars). * Visual abstraction: African artworks tend to favor visual abstraction over naturalistic representation. This is because many African artworks, regardless of medium, tend to represent objects or ideas rather than depict them. Art in modern day Nigeria usually thought of as naturalistic representations of rulers, has actually been smoothed and simplified in an effort to abstract and generalize stylistic norms. Ancient Egyptian art, also usually thought of as naturalistically depictive, makes use of highly abstracted and regimented visual meaning, especially in painting, as well as the use of different colors to represent the qualities and characteristics of an individual being depicted. * Emphasis on sculpture: African artists tend to favor three-dimensional artworks over two-dimensional works. Even many African paintings or cloth works were meant to be experienced three-dimensionally. House paintings are often seen as a continuous design wrapped around a house, forcing the viewer to walk around the work to experience it fully; while decorated cloths are worn as decorative or ceremonial garments, transforming the wearer into a living sculpture. * Emphasis on performance art: An extension of the utilitarianism and three-dimensionality of traditional African art is the fact that much of it is crafted for use in performance contexts, rather than in static ones. For example, masks and costumes very often are used in communal, ceremonial contexts, where they are “danced.” Most societies in Africa have names for their masks, but this single name incorporates not only the sculpture, but also the meanings of the mask, the dance associated with it, and the spirits that reside within. In African thought, the three cannot be differentiated.

ELEMEnTS oF ViSuALiSATion There are three key elements in any visualisation: Design, Visual Tools and Lettering.

A) DESiGn: Four principles constitute design aesthetics.

1. Simplicity: The fewer elements into which a given space is divided, the more pleasing it is to the eye. Only key details should be mentioned. That which is important must be outlined with a heavy line - other details can be added in thinner lines. However, note that too many lines could confuse your audience.

2. unity: The design must not be scattered but must show coherence. Devices like arrows, overlapping, etc. can help.

3. Emphasis: Though a theme may be developed in the same space, the basic message must attract attention and interest. Through the use of size, relationships, perspective and such visual tools as colour, space, etc., emphasis can be given to the most important elements.

4. Balance: Your board may be arranged symmetrically (formally) or asymmetrically (informally). The first suggests neatness, order and is static. The second is attractive and dynamic. Lettering arranged symmetrically conveys solemnity while the latter conveys energy and movement.

The Eight Principles of organisation 1. Harmony: This is pulling together of opposing forces by giving them all some common element(s) such as colour, texture, value, and others. The repetition or continued introduction of the same device or element reconciles that opposition.

2. Variety: While an artist might bring a work together with harmony, it is with variety that he or she achieves individuality and interest. Interest in this instant refers to the ability to arouse curiosity and to hold a viewer’s attention. If an artist achieves complete equality of visual forces, the work usually will be balanced, but it may also be static, lifeless, and unemotional. Visual boredom is an indication of an overly harmonious composition. By adding variation to the visual forces, the artist introduces essential ingredients such as diversion or change for enduring attention.

3. Balance: Most art works are viewed in a vertical orientation. In terms of top, sides, and bottom. Gravity then affects the visual components. For example, a ball placed high in the pictorial field produces a sense of tension between the ball and the baseline of the picture plane. There is the expectation that gravity will cause the ball to drop, and when it does not fall, the tension is created. What we know of the weight of actual objects influences how we judge balance on a picture surface. If we were to replace the objects with non-objective entities, their psychological weight would be created by their shape, value, and/or colour and our view of their balance again would change. Whether objective or non-objective components are used, the potential creation of psychological weight/balance and its compositional adjustment are endless. 4. Proportion: Proportion deals with the ratio of individual parts to one another. In works of art, the relationships of parts are difficult to compare with any accuracy because proportion often becomes a matter of personal 79 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa judgement. Proportional parts are considered in relation to the whole and, when related, the parts create harmony and balance.

5. Dominance: Any work of art that strives for interest must exhibit differences that emphasise the degrees of importance of its various parts. These differences result from medium and compositional considerations. If we substitute the word contrast for difference, we can see that the following, among others, can be used to achieve dominance: i) Isolation or separation of one part from others. ii) Placement - “centre stage” is most often used, but another position can be dominant depending on the surroundings iii) Direction - a movement that contrasts with others draws attention iv) Scale - larger sizes normally dominate v) Character - a significant difference in general appearance is striking. Contrasts in colour, value, and texture also help to produce this attraction.

6. Movement: In looking at an art/visual work, audiences are being “taken on a tour”. The artist makes the eye travel comfortably and informatively by providing roadways and rest stops. The roadways leading to the rest stops have certain speed limits established by the artist, and the rest of the stops are of a predetermined duration. The lines, shapes (generally lengthy ones) and shape contours are generally pointed at each other in the same general direction. They may be touching but normally they are interrupted by gaps over which the eyes skip as they move about. Sometimes “leaps” are necessary, requiring strong directional thrusts and/or potent attractions. 7. The optical units that direct us contain vital visual information. In a work such as the Mona Lisa, the figure is such a dominant unit that little eye movement is required (although there is secondary material of considerable interest). In other works, there may be several units of great interest that are widely separated, and it thus becomes critical that the observer’s vision be directed to them. There is usually some hierarchy in these units, some calling for more attention than others.

8. Economy: Very often, as a work develops, the artist will find that the solutions to various visual problems result in unnecessary complexity. The problem is frequently characterised by the broad and simple aspects of the work deteriorating into fragmentation. The artist can sometimes restore order by returning to significant essentials, eliminating elaborate details, and relating the particulars to the whole. This is a sacrifice not easily made or accepted because, in looking for solutions, interesting discoveries may have been made. But, interesting or not, these effects must often be surrendered for greater legibility and a more direct expression. Economy has no rules but rather must be an outgrowth of the artist’s instincts. If something works with respect to the whole, it is kept. If disruptive, it may be reworked or rejected.

B) ViSuAL TooLS: There are five visual tools: 1. Lines: These have a power and meaning of their own. Not all create the same psychological effect in the viewer’s mind.

The Physical Characteristics of Line i) Measure: This refers to the length and width of a line. An infinite number of combinations of long and short, thick and thin lines can, according to their use, divide, balance, or unbalance a pictorial area.

ii) Type: Taking into consideration the characteristic of type as well as measure, we find that long or short, thick or thin lines can be straight, angular, or curved. The straight line, in its continuity, ultimately becomes repetitious and, depending on its length, either rigid or brittle. The curved line may form an arc, reverse its curve to become wavy, or continue turning within itself to produce a spiral. Alterations of movement become visually entertaining and physically stimulating if they are rhythmical. A curved line is inherently graceful and, to a degree, unstable. The abrupt changes of direction in an angular line create excitement and/or confusion. Our eyes frequently have difficulty adapting to an angular line’s unexpected deviations of direction. Hence, the angular line is full of challenging interest.

iii) Location: The control exercised over the measure, type, or direction of a line can be enhanced or diminished by its specific location. According to its placement, a line can serve to unify or divide, balance or unbalance a pictorial area. A diagonal line might be soaring or plunging, depending upon its high or low position relative to the frame. The various attributes of line can act in concert toward one goal or can serve separate roles of expression and design.

iv) Character: This term is largely related to the medium with which the line is created. Different media can be used in the same work to create greater interest. Monotony could result from the consistent use of lines of 80 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa the same character unless the unity so gained is balanced by the variation of other physical properties. Varied instruments, such as the brush, burin, stick, and fingers, have distinctive characteristics that can be exploited by the artist.

2. Shape: This can create interest and express the theme more coherently.

3. Space: This must be used carefully because too little space creates a crowded feeling while too much space makes the subject look scattered.

4. Texture: This is a visual element that replaces the sense of touch and can be used in the same way as colour. Shinning surfaces, rough surfaces, flannel paper, all create a certain effect in the mind of the viewer. 5. Colour: This is a very important visual tool. Here are a few rules to consider when using colour in your visuals: • The background must be subdued.

• Details and especially main topics must be bright and attractive.

• Details that are not very important must neither be too bright as to be confused with the main theme nor too dull as to be lost in the background.

• Too many colours can cause a mental strain.

• Colour must be harmonised: different tints of the same colour. E.g. various shades of blue.

• Harmony of colours which are neighbours on the colour chart is called analogous harmony e.g. blue, violet, and red.

• When colour contrasts at its maximum, this harmony is called complementary harmony. E.g. colours opposite on the colour chart.

• Colours create psychological effects. Cool colours such as blue, green, violet, give an effect of distance. Warm colours such as red, orange and yellow invite the viewer. The following are some stereotyped psychological meanings attached to prominent colours: * Red - danger, heat, love, energy * Blue - coldness, boredom, sadness * Purple - royalty, sorrow * Green - freshness, jealousy * Yellow - life, light, flashy * White - purity, integrity, chill, lack of ideas * Black - darkness, evil, sin, creative potency * Grey - boredom, loss, deadness C) LETTERinG: • Lettering may be formal or informal.

• It is better to arrange formal lettering in a formal way keeping in mind the rules of balance and space.

• Mechanical spacing produces an uneven effect. It destroys unity and legibility.

• It is necessary to space the letters by the eye. This is ‘optical spacing’.

• Informal lettering can be stylish or expressive.

• Expressive letters can give your work a dramatic effect. Informal lettering must be arranged in the style unique to the lettering.

Types of Visuals: Finally, here is a list and classification of various types of visual communication: i. Visuals without words: photographs, drawings and paintings, picture posters, picture-collages, chalk drawings, murals (without words), and mime.

ii. Visuals with words: advertisements, captioned posters, theme charts, diagrams, word-collages, banners, murals (with words) and comics.

iii. Visuals using projectors: overhead projector, slide projector, video projectors.

iv. Visuals using electronics and computers: video players/recorders, television monitors, Microsoft power-point presentations, computer graphics, computer animation.

v. Visuals with sound: dramatics, dance, TV productions, music and song videos, film.

One of the best ways to develop visual skills is to look at visual art manuals that contain many innovative presentation of professional artists.

ViSuAL MEDiA EXAMPLES Material Collection Making audio-visuals often requires basic material such as: 81 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa • Pencils, pens, a ruler, an eraser • Paper, glue, scissors, brushes and paints, ink • Pins sticking-tape, paper clips, stapler and staples • Coloured paper, cardboard, tinsel, decorative papers...

• Pictures: keep a watch for good pictures. File them in folders or boxes according to various topics.

Pictures and Photos: • There are essentially two types of pictures: those that require text for their explanation and those that speak by the power of their visual images.

• When selecting pictures for pastoral purposes we may have need of both types in different situations. For notice boards that are wordy and require pictures to break the monotony of text, the first of the two types comes handy • The second type of pictures/photos are those that say a lot even without a single word. Such pictures make very powerful messages for notice boards. No words are required - or if they have to be used, it is best to keep them to their minimum.

• Such pictures can also be used in group sharing and reflection. Sometimes they can tell us about the values we live or do not live by. They can also supply the inspiration for prayer.

• To find such pictures is not easy. We require to train our eyes to look for them.

• In using pictures or in producing them, it is essential to keep in mind the audience and the situation for which the photo is made. It is helpful to concentrate on one theme and to isolate one key-word or key-image and make it the centre.

Exercise: Design a notice board on the theme: “The best things in life are free” Or “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Posters • Like photographs, posters are of two types: those that are colourful and require many pictures, and those that are based on text.

• Imagination and aesthetics are important requirements in designing a poster. This means attentiveness to colour and shape; a sense of balance as well as off-balance; a clear idea of what has to be communicated; the aptitude to put text and pictures together in a perfect composition.

• For the purpose of creating a poster, one needs to have lots of magazines, newspapers, big and small.

• Choose a background colour pinned on to the notice board of soft board or plywood and cloth (on which elements can be fixed and dismantled again) scissors, glue and string.

• Different colours express different meanings. • Shapes can be determined by the material you have, the size of a sheet of paper, but you can also express something by giving it a precise form: a circle, square, horizontal or vertical oblong.

• It is very important to use the symbols used by the people. This also includes colour and shapes.

• Keep the poster simple and the message clear.

Exercise: Create a poster on the theme (PEACE, UNITY, LIFE IS PRECIOUS) Collages • Collages are an excellent visual tool for group work. A collage is a composition of pictures, words, or objects, which have been collected according to a given theme. The process of selection and arrangement is already a reflective one and continues through presentation and group discussion. It can be undertaken by the group as a whole in exploring a theme, or by an individual presenting a theme.

• While doing a picture/photo collage, the group members are asked to cut (or tear) from the newspapers or magazines provided any pictures and texts which “speak” to them of the given theme. The group then selects and arranges the material whereby the most striking picture is to be the centre around which the rest is arranged. Then everything is fixed to the background sheet.

• In a word collage a similar process is followed except that instead of pictures, we use words and write them on slips of paper, large enough to be legible from far. The arrangement of paper slips can be circular with the keyword in the centre, or words can be grouped according to similarity.

• Object collage is a way of deepening in people an awareness of the symbolic in ordinary things of life, and helping them discover how everything around us is charged with meaning. Ask the group to wander about in the open and bring back objects which speak to them on a given theme: Life, Danger, Suffering, etc. The object can be placed on the ground or pinned to a soft board. It helps if the theme appears written on the collage to focus attention when people say why they have chosen an object and what it reminds them of. 82 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Collage Composition • Composition, layout, format, should be agreed upon by everybody. If a group is large, it is advisable to divide people into smaller groups and have each group present its collage to the large group.

• The way the pictures, photos, words or objects are arranged is also important. There are feelings ascribed to lines and shapes. Avoid gluing picture elements together in just any odd way, to fill the space available. Composing words and pictures within such a framework can be challenging.

Exercises: Get the group to make collages on the following themes: • Beauty of Creation (Photo collage) • HIV and AIDS Awareness (Word collage) • Conserve Nature (Object collage) Banners • Banners have the advantages of long life. They can be used vertically or horizontally. Some large pieces of cotton or silk cloth provide the backdrop for new designs. Text may be painted directly on the cloth, while a collage work can be stuck or sewn onto the cloth.

• Banners are useful for liturgical purposes and for providing visual reflections. The group preparing the liturgies can thus share their reflection visually, and help the congregation to enter into a particular theme. The theme can also be built up over several Sundays, as for example during Lent and Advent. Display the banner in a prominent place in church and replace it or remove it punctually.

Exercise: Create a banner on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit or the Beatitudes.

Murals • Murals are very much like collages. Instead of sheets of paper, it is the wall space which provides the framework for a composition. In a mural, a theme can be worked out in more detail, with pictures and texts, and then be arranged and stuck on to the wall. It is important that all the elements are linked up to each other and the eye can follow a certain order. Pieces of coloured paper, possibly one colour for all the “linking elements” can give direction. Limit words to telegram style and give key phrases some bold lettering.

• Since painting a whole wall can be expensive and the local authority may not trust the capacity of the artists, the mural can be done on cloth which is fixed onto a wooden framework.

• Often, murals are designed as backdrops for performances. In this case, it is important that the colours and symbols chosen do not distract the audience from watching what is performed on stage. (Psychadelic lighting on the backdrop for example, is out of place.) A backdrop must be attractive, but must also retain its ‘background’ identity and not become the focus of attention.

Exercise: Get students to do a stage backdrop for the feast day variety entertainment programme. E.g. Community Day, Feast of Don Bosco.

Review 1. Visual communication is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked at.

2. Recent research supports the idea that visual communication can be more powerful than verbal communication.

3. Studies show that people only remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read but about 70% of what they see and do.

4. Training materials indicate that the retention of information three days after a meeting is six times greater when information is presented by visual and oral means than when information is presented by the spoken word alone. The same material also cites studies by educational researchers suggesting that 83% of human learning occurs visually.

5. Alternative media are also called group media as distinguished from mass media. These forms of media are easy to use, cheap and pertain to local issues. 6. Though many casual observers tend to generalize “traditional” African art, the continent is full of peoples, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture.

7. The unifying artistic themes of African art are: emphasis on the human figure, visual abstraction and emphasis on sculpture.83 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa 8. There are essentially two types of pictures: those that require text for their explanation and those that speak by the power of their visual images. When selecting pictures for pastoral purposes, we may need both types in different situations. The second type of pictures/photos are those that say a lot even without a single word. Such pictures make very powerful messages for notice boards.

9. Like photographs, posters are of two types: those that are colourful and require many pictures and those that are based on text.

10. A collage is a composition of pictures, words, or objects, which have been collected according to a given theme. The process of selection and arrangement is a reflective one and continues through presentation and group discussion.

11. Banners are useful for liturgical purposes and for providing visual reflections.

12. In a mural, a theme can be worked out in more detail, with pictures and texts, and then be arranged and stuck on to the wall. It is important that all the elements are linked up to each other and the eye can follow a certain order.

13. There are three key elements in any visualisation: Design, Visual Tools and Lettering.

14. The seven principles of organisation are: harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement and economy.

15. Visual tools include: lines, shape, space, texture and colour.

16. It is better to arrange formal lettering in a formal way keeping in mind the rules of balance and space.

17. There are several types of visuals: visuals with words, visuals without words, visuals using projectors, visuals using electronics and computers and visuals with sound.

18. One of the best ways to develop visual skills is to look at visual art manuals with innovative presentations of professional artists.

Reflection 1. We have seen that African art tends to be representative, rather than depictive. What kinds of art in modern day are similar? Categorise the types of arts into either depictive or representative. What role did visual media in African Traditional Society have in the remembrance and retention of certain myths and practices? 2. Interview several artists and find out how they combine the key elements of visualisation as well as the seven principles of organisation in their work. Note with interest how different artists express themselves and how they incorporate these principles in their work.

Relevant Skills 1. Pick a saying of your choice and present it in a number of ways; through a drawing, posters, photos or a collage. Notice how the message will be translated via the various forms of visual media.

2. The lecturer can present a number of magazines, newspapers, photographs, collages, murals, bill board pictures and other forms of visual media. Ask the class to critique them based on the seven principles of organisation.

Resources BOSCOM-INDIA. ‘SHEPHERDS’ FOR AN INFORMATION AGE. Matunga: Tej Prasarini, 2000.

Kunnel, Tom. Salesians of Don Bosco for a Cyber Age in Africa, Kenya: BEAMS, 2008. References Sharma Mohan Vinay. The art of reading Gestures & Postures Body Language. Delhi: Pustak Mahal,2002 Camp, C. Sue, and Marilyn L. Satterwhite. College Communication. Ohio: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Ocvirk G. Otto, Robert Stinson, Philip R. Wigg, Robert O. Bone and David L. Cayton. Art Fundamentals. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.

www.hp.com.

www.slideshare.net 84 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa Aim • To learn alternative ways of communicating through low-cost visual media. • To learn the basic techniques of visualisation in order to give your communication greater impact.

ViSuAL MEDiA EXAMPLES Material Collection Making audio-visuals often requires basic material such as: • Pencils, pens, a ruler, an eraser • Paper, glue, scissors, brushes and paints, ink • Pins sticking-tape, paper clips, stapler and staples • Coloured paper, cardboard, tinsel, decorative papers...

• Pictures: keep a watch for good pictures. File them in folders or boxes according to various topics.

Pictures and Photos: • There are essentially two types of pictures: those that require text for their explanation and those that speak by the power of their visual images.

• Such pictures can also be used in group sharing and reflection. Sometimes they can tell us about the values we live or do not live by. They can also supply the inspiration for prayer.

• To find such pictures is not easy. We require to train our eyes to look for them.

• Imagination and aesthetics are important requirements in designing a poster. Spelled out in detail this means attentiveness to colour and shape; a sense of balance as well as off-balance; a clear idea of what has to be communicated; the aptitude to put text and pictures together in a perfect composition.

• For the purpose of creating a poster, one needs to have lots of magazines, newspapers, big and small.

• Choose a background colour pinned on to the notice board of soft board or plywood and cloth (on which elements can be fixed and dismantled again) scissors, glue and string.

• It is very important to use the symbols used by the people. This also includes colour and shapes.

• Keep the poster simple and the message clear.

• While doing a picture/photo collage, the group members are asked to cut (or tear) from the newspapers or magazines provided any pictures and texts which “speak” to them of the given theme. The group then selects and arranges CHAPTER 2.4 PARTiCiPAnT’S HAnDouT Visual Media COMMUNICATOR FOR A CYBER AGE IN AFRICA Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services - BEAMS Publication, Kenya. beams@donbosco.or.ke85 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa the material whereby the most striking picture is to be the centre around which the rest is arranged. Then everything is fixed to the background sheet.

• Object collage is a way of deepening in people an awareness of the symbolic in ordinary things of life, and helping them discover how everything around us is charged with meaning. Ask the group to wander about in the open and bring back objects which speak to them on a given theme: Life, Danger, Suffering, etc. The object can be placed on the ground or pinned to a soft board. It helps if the theme appears written on the collage to focus attention when people say why they have chosen an object and what it reminds them of. Collage Composition • Composition, layout, format, should be agreed upon by everybody. If a group is large, it is advisable to divide people into smaller groups and have each group present its collage to the large group.

Exercises: Get the group to make collages on the following themes: • Beauty of Creation (Photo collage) • HIV/AIDS Awareness (Word collage) • Conserve Nature (Object collage) Banners • Banners have the advantages of long life. They can be used vertically or horizontally. Some large pieces of cotton or silk cloth provide the backdrop for new designs. Test may be painted directly on the cloth, while a collage work can be stuck or sewn onto the cloth.

Exercise: Create a banner on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit or the Beatitudes.

Murals • Murals are very much like collages. Instead of sheets of paper, it is the wall space which provides the framework for a composition. In a mural a theme can be worked out in more detail, with pictures and texts, and then be arranged and stuck on to the wall. It is important that all the elements are linked up to each other and the eye can follow a certain order. Pieces of coloured paper, possibly one colour for all the “linking elements” can give direction. Limit words to telegrams style and give key phrases some bold lettering.

• Since painting a whole wall can be expensive and the local authority may not be inclined to trust the capacity of the artists, the mural can be done on cloth fixed onto a wooden framework.

• Often, murals are designed as backdrops for performances. In this case, it is important that the colours and symbols chosen do not distract the audience from watching what is performed on stage. (Psychedelic lighting on the backdrop for example, is out of place.) A backdrop must be attractive, but must also retain its ‘background’ identity and not become the focus of attention.

Exercise: Make a stage backdrop for the feast day variety entertainment programme. E.g. Community Day, Feast of Don Bosco.

Review 1. Visual communication is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon.

2. Recent research supports the idea that visual communication can be more powerful than verbal communication.

3. Studies show that people only remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read but about 80% of what they see and do.

4. Training materials indicate that the retention of information three days after a meeting is six times greater when 86 Communicator for a Cyber-Age in Africa information is presented by visual and oral means than when information is presented by the spoken word alone. The same material also cites studies by educational researchers suggesting that 83% of human learning occurs visually.

7. The unifying artistic themes of African art are: emphasis on the human figure, visual abstraction and emphasis on sculpture.

8. There are essentially two types of pictures: those that require text for their explanation and those that speak by the power of their visual images. When selecting pictures for pastoral purposes, we may need both types in different situations. The second type of pictures/photos are those that say a lot even without a single word. Such pictures make very powerful messages for notice boards.