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.