Cultural variations regarding the nature and determinants of opinion leadership

Abstract

This paper compares the findings from different countries regarding the nature and
determinants of opinion leadership. The differences between white and black farmers
in one country far exceed the differences between black cultures in different countries.
White communities tend to have a bigger percentage of opinion leaders and socioeconomic
status is an important barrier to accessibility. Socio-psychological
accessibility is a major constraint amongst white farmers, but not a factor whatsoever
in black communities. In black communities, on the other hand, distance or physical
accessibility is a serious constraint with the result that about 80 percent of the
opinion leaders consulted live within a 2 km radius. This and the fact that most of the
determinants normally associated with opinion leadership show a negative
relationships (as opposed to the positive correlations in white communities), creates
the suspicion that opinion leaders in black rural communities are neighbours or, more
likely, members of the extended family.

Keywords: Opinion leaders, cultural influence, diffusion and determinants of opinion leadership.

South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol. 37 2008: pp. 17-27