Economic Transition and the Rural - Urban Divide

Abstract

Political economy of economic transitions has generated a lot of research studies and the issue of the appropriate role that the people must assume and which political decision makers must enact during the reforms process has increasingly come to the fore. We now live in a "digital society," and the rapid uptake of digital technologies has hugely impacted on the way we communicate, relate, learn, work, and spend our leisure time. People who lack or have low levels of digital literacy are less likely to have the information, skills, and understanding necessary to engage in digital media and communications settings in a safe, secure, and informed manner. Does the urban and rural population have equal access to economic messages by media? If yes, how do they perceive the impact of economic shifts and reforms on their communication behaviour? The study was conducted in 24 districts of West Bengal, India to gauge the awareness of economic reforms and assess the media usage patterns among urban and rural population during such economic shifts in society. With a multistage random sample survey, using a survey questionnaire, the researchers collected the data from 428 residents. The findings of the study show that awareness of the term economic reforms. There exist contradictory perceptions about the felt ramifications. Many feel that the reforms were implemented in a hurry with a complete absence of dialogue between government and citizens. The study held immense scope to understand the challenges faced by the population residing in both urban and rural areas and their dependence on media in the face of shifting economic conditions in society.