Theory, practice, sustainability: Understanding multiple perspectives on norm-change

The role of social norms in influencing and shaping human behaviour is beyond debate. Behaviour change practitioners and policymakers recognise that to influence behaviours, it is important to understand how...

The role of social norms in influencing and shaping human behaviour is beyond debate. Behaviour change practitioners and policymakers recognise that to influence behaviours, it is important to understand how social norms work and to understand how they interact with numerous other influencers or drivers of behaviour situated in complex ecosystems. This is especially true in collective multicultural societies like those found in South Asia, where religion, caste, class, ethnicity, tribalism, and regionalism influence group norms in different ways.

It is equally important to recognise that norms researchers need to be empathetic to the people and cultures being researched so that the right behaviours and the right drivers are captured, more so when we realise that norms that are often resistant to change. Last, the role of donor organisations cannot be underscored in ensuring the smooth running of research studies or intervention programmes. Thus, this event was an honest and introspective discussion between researchers, practitioners, and donors, one that is vital for sustainable and conscientious norm shifts going forward.