COMMUNICATION EXPOSURE OF RURAL WOMEN REGARDING HOMESTEAD VEGETABLE CULTIVATION

Abstract

This study was intended to determine the communication exposure of rural women regarding homestead vegetable cultivation and to explore relationship between selected characteristics of the rural women with their communication exposure regarding homestead vegetable cultivation. The selected characteristics of the rural women were age. education, family size, land size, homestead vegetable cultivation area, vegetable cultivation experience, time spent in vegetable cultivation, knowledge on homestead vegetable cultivation and organizational participation. The study was conducted in two villages namely Hesakhal and Uroschol under Flesakhal union in Nanagalkot upazilla of Comilla district. Data were collected from 100 women by using a pretested interview schedule during the period from October 15 to November IS, 2009. Appropriate scales were developed to measure the variables of the study. Correlation(s) test was used to ascertain the relationship between the concerned independent and dependent variables of the study. Findings of

the study revealed that more than half (63%) of the respondent had medium communication exposure regarding homestead gardening information while 6 percent of them had tow exposure and only 31 percent high exposure . Correlation analysis indicates that family size, land size, homestead vegetable cultivation area and time spent in vegetable cultivation of the rural women had no significant relationship with their communication exposure on homestead vegetable cultivation while education, knowledge on homestead vegetable cultivation and organizational participation had significant positive relationship but in case of age and homestead vegetable cultivation experience had negative and highly significant relationship with their communication exposure in receiving information on homestead vegetable cultivation. The thirteen (13) communication media have been arranged in rank order on basis of their Media Use Index (MUD. Experienced Women was used as the communication media to the highest extent (250) and it was closely followed by neighbor (230), Radio (210), television (ISO), and soon.