Fear-based parent-child sexual health communication in rural southwestern Uganda: drivers and influences
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Fear-based parent–child communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in rural southwestern Uganda reflects strong social norms related to family reputation, gender roles, and moral responsibility. Mothers are expected to regulate daughters’ sexuality to protect family honour, while fathers often remain emotionally distant due to norms linking masculinity with authority and […]
“Out there it’s YOLO”: Youth perspectives on a mass media HIV- and gender-based violence campaign in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The ZAZI intervention demonstrates that using culturally relevant, multimedia campaigns—such as music videos—can challenge and shift social norms that constrain young women’s agency in South Africa. By positioning young women as active agents in their own narratives and confronting norms around sexual silence, gender inequality, and stigma, the campaign promoted collective […]
USAID Zambia Community HIV Prevention Project (USAID Z-CHPP) Quarterly Report
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This project intentionally worked to promote protective social norms related to HIV prevention, gender, and sexual health, especially among adolescent girls and young women. It engaged cultural gatekeepers, traditional leaders, and male role models to foster dialogue on beliefs and practices that increase vulnerability to HIV, early pregnancy, and gender-based violence. […]
Promoting social change through edutainment: An analysis of yolo television series
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The YOLO TV series illustrates the potential of youth-focused media to challenge entrenched gender and sexual norms in Ghana. By depicting relatable scenarios and modeling respectful, equitable relationships, YOLO disrupts dominant narratives of male sexual entitlement and female silence. It opens space for critical dialogue among young audiences, though structural change […]
Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Using Gender-Transformative Approaches at a Community Level in Rural Tanzania: The UZIKWASA Program
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study demonstrates that addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) through gender-transformative, community-level approaches can shift harmful norms surrounding masculinity, femininity, and violence. While the article does not frame its analysis using formal social norms theory (e.g., injunctive or descriptive norms), it provides extensive qualitative evidence of prevailing expectations—such as men’s authority […]
Qualitative endline results of the tipping point project to prevent child, early and forced marriage in Nepal
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Organized diffusion is essential for shifting social norms around intimate partner violence (IPV). This study demonstrates that interpersonal diffusion of anti-violence messaging can lead to meaningful change, particularly in communities with less equitable baseline norms. Social networks play a central role in facilitating this change, highlighting the importance of targeting interventions […]
Projet Tékponon Jikuagou: Experiences and Effects of Using NGO Platforms to Scale-Up the TJ Social Network Package
Key Social Norms Take-aways: The Tékponon Jikuagou (TJ) project demonstrates that addressing unmet need for family planning (FP) through social network diffusion can effectively shift deeply rooted gender and social norms. Integrating participatory dialogue and reflection into existing development projects enabled changes in attitudes, behaviors, and community expectations around FP. The approach fostered individual and […]
A radio drama’s effects on attitudes toward early and forced marriage: Results from a field experiment in Rural Tanzania
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study examines how entertainment-education can shift attitudes and perceived social norms related to early and forced marriage. Although it does not use formal social norms measurement tools, it assesses perceived descriptive norms (what others do) and injunctive norms (what others approve of) through attitudinal questions about peer and family expectations. […]
Extracurricular School-Based Social Change Communication Program Associated with Reduced HIV Infection Among Young Women in South Africa
Key Social Norms Take-aways: This study highlights the potential of extracurricular, school-based interventions to shift social norms related to sexual behavior and health among young women. The Soul Buddyz Clubs fostered collective action, built self-esteem, and emphasized responsible health behaviors—components that appear to influence norms around condom use and sexual partnerships. The intervention’s emphasis on […]
Changes in Family-Level Attitudes and Norms and Association with Secondary School Completion and Child Marriage Among Adolescent Girls: Results from an Exploratory Study Nested Within a Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial in India
Key Social Norms Take-aways: Indirect norms—like expectations to protect family honor by limiting girls’ freedom—powerfully shape girls’ futures. Effective interventions must target not just households but also the broader social networks that uphold these practices. Objectives: This study evaluated the impact of the Samata intervention, a three-year multilayered program in northern Karnataka, India, designed to […]