Over 60 years of American anthropological and sociological research writings have erected a concept of culture that restricts its role in planned change models to one of active or tacit resistance to change. As an alternative, this paper suggests that the substitution of a contemporary, dynamic conceptualization of culture as developed by cognitive anthropologists and organizational communication researchers may have significant impact upon (1) our understanding of development; (2) perceptions of the relationship between development and culture; and (3) current formulations addressing the types and effectiveness of alternative communication channels used for planned change in societies. (Seven pages of references are included.) (Author/SKC)