b) How could social influence and persuasion contribute to success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
Social influence and persuasion are methodologies adapted to induce a desired behavioral or attitudinal change in the target individual or group.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a cleanliness drive by the Government of India which among other things aims to end open defecation and encourages cleanliness habits. It is widely accepted that in order to achieve the desired results there needs to be an attitudinal and behavioral change in the individual. It has been suspected that despite the physical availability of toilets they are not used in some regions due to false notions of hygiene and impurity.
Persuasion is the approach to convince an individual or a group to adopt a certain behavior or attitude. Logical persuasion appeals to rationality and reasoning. Emotional persuasion presents emotional appeals for the desired action
Social influence is the leverage the community/ society / group has on another individual/ community group. The stronger the linkage and dependence among the groups, the higher is the influence. Swachh Bharat Abiyan has tried to leverage the communities influence over individuals to encourage them to use toilets and adopt cleanliness initiatives.
Celebrities have been roped in to act as Swachhta Ambassadors. Celebrities are held in high esteem and usually are regarded highly by the community. This allows them to have a high persuasive power. By appealing to the individuals through mass media, advertisement and awareness campaigns people can be persuaded to adopt desired behaviors. A Corps of volunteers (Swacchdoots) at the local community level can be used to deliver the message at door step. Since these members would be widely accepted individuals can be easily persuaded.
The example of Bangladesh and few other south Asian countries shows that it is possible to end open defecation by community level initiatives.
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