Social Norms Theory and Development Economics

Social norms affect almost every aspect of people’s lives, and can be an obstacle to or support economic development. This paper outlines what social norms are and how they work, providing examples from everyday life and from development case studi...

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Main Author: Eriksson, Lina
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2015
Subjects:
SEX
TV
WAR
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/10/25171546/social-norms-theory-development-economics
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22863
id okr-10986-22863
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-228632021-04-23T14:04:11Z Social Norms Theory and Development Economics Eriksson, Lina YOUNG WOMEN FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION SOCIAL INEQUALITY GENITAL MUTILATION TEENAGERS SPOUSE INTEGRITY HEALTH IMPACT MORAL NORMS SOCIAL ISSUES ETHNOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE PROPERTY CIVIL WAR HUSBANDS MATERNITY LEAVE SOCIETIES PARTICIPATORY PROCESS COOPERATION KNOWLEDGE ALCOHOL FAMILY MEMBERS GENDER NORMS SOCIAL PRACTICE ANTHROPOLOGY LAND TENURE SOCIAL LIFE ROLE MODELS PHILOSOPHERS SOCIAL NORMS POPULATION MACHISMO TELEVISION NETWORK EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES PEACE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GENDER RELATIONS UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES POPULATIONS SOCIAL CHANGE WOMEN GENITAL CUTTING SAFE SEX ABUSE CIRCUMCISION CONDOMS WOMAN ETHNICITY GENDER ECONOMIC GROWTH SOCIAL INTERACTIONS STUDENTS MASCULINITY BOTH SEXES SOCIAL MARKETING DEVELOPMENT POLICY SOCIAL GROUP ADOPTION LIVING‐STANDARDS RESPONSIBILITY MORALITY FEMININITY DEPENDENCE POWER CREATION HUMAN BEHAVIOUR EDUCATION OF WOMEN KIDS POLICY POLICY‐MAKERS SEXUAL VIOLENCE DRUGS EVERYDAY LIFE TELEVISION SEX POSTERS YOUNG MEN HOUSEHOLDS BELIEFS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS RELIGION HOUSEHOLD INCOME POLICY DISCUSSIONS PENSIONS PROPERTY RIGHTS NORMS PARTNERS POLICY MAKERS PROGRESS SOCIAL NORMS PREGNANCIES SOCIOBIOLOGY TV INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS SEXUALITY SOCIAL MEANINGS NATIONALS GIRLS SOCIAL INFORMATION ETHICS GOOD PUBLIC SUPPORT CARE FOR CHILDREN RADIO PEER PRESSURE MOTHER RELIGIOUS REASONS RESPONSIBILITIES SOCIAL SECURITY HUMAN BEHAVIOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR PUBLIC SERVICE DISCRIMINATION COMMUNICATION ENERGY CONSUMPTION ETHNOGRAPHY FEMALE CHILDREN SPOUSES FEMALE “CIRCUMCISION POLICY‐ MAKERS SOAP OPERAS RITUAL TABOO MARKET ECONOMY SOCIAL INTERACTIONS POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER HISTORY MARRIED COUPLES RESPECT FEMALE SEXUALITY PUBLIC POLICY HOUSEHOLD WORK POLITICAL CHANGE ALTRUISM CULTURES PRINCIPLES FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING OWNERSHIP OF LAND MUTILATION SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CHILD‐REARING CONDOM EXOGAMY SOCIOLOGY POLICIES SURVEYS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN MEDIA YOUNG PEOPLE SYMBOLS SOCIAL POLICY SOCIETY CHILD CARE FUNERALS MARRIAGE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES CONDOM USE SUBSTANCE ABUSE POLICY RESEARCH FEWER PEOPLE FAIRNESS IMPACT ON CHILDREN MODERNIZATION RURAL COMMUNITIES GENDER EQUALITY PARENTAL LEAVE WAR FATHERHOOD MANDATES FAMILIES ANTHROPOLOGIST GENDER ROLES SOCIAL STATUS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY SOCIAL PRESSURE FAMILY Social norms affect almost every aspect of people’s lives, and can be an obstacle to or support economic development. This paper outlines what social norms are and how they work, providing examples from everyday life and from development case studies. Sometimes not much can be done about changing undesirable social norms. In those cases, development economists need to be aware of how the existence of those norms can impact the effects of the policies they advocate. But of particular importance to development economists is the ways in which social norms can be changed, at least under some circumstances. Understanding of social norm change is still patchy at best, but the paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings of change, with empirical evidence from various policies aimed at changing social norms. However, some of those policies raise ethical concerns that would require attention. 2015-11-05T16:01:04Z 2015-11-05T16:01:04Z 2015-10 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/10/25171546/social-norms-theory-development-economics http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22863 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7450 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic YOUNG WOMEN
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
GENITAL MUTILATION
TEENAGERS
SPOUSE
INTEGRITY
HEALTH IMPACT
MORAL NORMS
SOCIAL ISSUES
ETHNOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
PROPERTY
CIVIL WAR
HUSBANDS
MATERNITY LEAVE
SOCIETIES
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS
COOPERATION
KNOWLEDGE
ALCOHOL
FAMILY MEMBERS
GENDER NORMS
SOCIAL PRACTICE
ANTHROPOLOGY
LAND TENURE
SOCIAL LIFE
ROLE MODELS
PHILOSOPHERS
SOCIAL NORMS
POPULATION
MACHISMO
TELEVISION NETWORK
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
PEACE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
GENDER RELATIONS
UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES
POPULATIONS
SOCIAL CHANGE
WOMEN
GENITAL CUTTING
SAFE SEX
ABUSE
CIRCUMCISION
CONDOMS
WOMAN
ETHNICITY
GENDER
ECONOMIC GROWTH
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
STUDENTS
MASCULINITY
BOTH SEXES
SOCIAL MARKETING
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
SOCIAL GROUP
ADOPTION
LIVING‐STANDARDS
RESPONSIBILITY
MORALITY
FEMININITY
DEPENDENCE
POWER
CREATION
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
EDUCATION OF WOMEN
KIDS
POLICY
POLICY‐MAKERS
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
DRUGS
EVERYDAY LIFE
TELEVISION
SEX
POSTERS
YOUNG MEN
HOUSEHOLDS
BELIEFS
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
RELIGION
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
PENSIONS
PROPERTY RIGHTS
NORMS
PARTNERS
POLICY MAKERS
PROGRESS
SOCIAL NORMS
PREGNANCIES
SOCIOBIOLOGY
TV
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
SEXUALITY
SOCIAL MEANINGS
NATIONALS
GIRLS
SOCIAL INFORMATION
ETHICS
GOOD
PUBLIC SUPPORT
CARE FOR CHILDREN
RADIO
PEER PRESSURE
MOTHER
RELIGIOUS REASONS
RESPONSIBILITIES
SOCIAL SECURITY
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
PUBLIC SERVICE
DISCRIMINATION
COMMUNICATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ETHNOGRAPHY
FEMALE CHILDREN
SPOUSES
FEMALE “CIRCUMCISION
POLICY‐ MAKERS
SOAP OPERAS
RITUAL
TABOO
MARKET ECONOMY
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
HISTORY
MARRIED COUPLES
RESPECT
FEMALE SEXUALITY
PUBLIC POLICY
HOUSEHOLD WORK
POLITICAL CHANGE
ALTRUISM
CULTURES
PRINCIPLES
FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING
OWNERSHIP OF LAND
MUTILATION
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
CHILD‐REARING
CONDOM
EXOGAMY
SOCIOLOGY
POLICIES
SURVEYS
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
MEDIA
YOUNG PEOPLE
SYMBOLS
SOCIAL POLICY
SOCIETY
CHILD CARE
FUNERALS
MARRIAGE
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
CONDOM USE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
POLICY RESEARCH
FEWER PEOPLE
FAIRNESS
IMPACT ON CHILDREN
MODERNIZATION
RURAL COMMUNITIES
GENDER EQUALITY
PARENTAL LEAVE
WAR
FATHERHOOD
MANDATES
FAMILIES
ANTHROPOLOGIST
GENDER ROLES
SOCIAL STATUS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PRESSURE
FAMILY
spellingShingle YOUNG WOMEN
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
GENITAL MUTILATION
TEENAGERS
SPOUSE
INTEGRITY
HEALTH IMPACT
MORAL NORMS
SOCIAL ISSUES
ETHNOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
PROPERTY
CIVIL WAR
HUSBANDS
MATERNITY LEAVE
SOCIETIES
PARTICIPATORY PROCESS
COOPERATION
KNOWLEDGE
ALCOHOL
FAMILY MEMBERS
GENDER NORMS
SOCIAL PRACTICE
ANTHROPOLOGY
LAND TENURE
SOCIAL LIFE
ROLE MODELS
PHILOSOPHERS
SOCIAL NORMS
POPULATION
MACHISMO
TELEVISION NETWORK
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
PEACE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
GENDER RELATIONS
UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES
POPULATIONS
SOCIAL CHANGE
WOMEN
GENITAL CUTTING
SAFE SEX
ABUSE
CIRCUMCISION
CONDOMS
WOMAN
ETHNICITY
GENDER
ECONOMIC GROWTH
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
STUDENTS
MASCULINITY
BOTH SEXES
SOCIAL MARKETING
DEVELOPMENT POLICY
SOCIAL GROUP
ADOPTION
LIVING‐STANDARDS
RESPONSIBILITY
MORALITY
FEMININITY
DEPENDENCE
POWER
CREATION
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
EDUCATION OF WOMEN
KIDS
POLICY
POLICY‐MAKERS
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
DRUGS
EVERYDAY LIFE
TELEVISION
SEX
POSTERS
YOUNG MEN
HOUSEHOLDS
BELIEFS
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
RELIGION
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
PENSIONS
PROPERTY RIGHTS
NORMS
PARTNERS
POLICY MAKERS
PROGRESS
SOCIAL NORMS
PREGNANCIES
SOCIOBIOLOGY
TV
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
SEXUALITY
SOCIAL MEANINGS
NATIONALS
GIRLS
SOCIAL INFORMATION
ETHICS
GOOD
PUBLIC SUPPORT
CARE FOR CHILDREN
RADIO
PEER PRESSURE
MOTHER
RELIGIOUS REASONS
RESPONSIBILITIES
SOCIAL SECURITY
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
PUBLIC SERVICE
DISCRIMINATION
COMMUNICATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ETHNOGRAPHY
FEMALE CHILDREN
SPOUSES
FEMALE “CIRCUMCISION
POLICY‐ MAKERS
SOAP OPERAS
RITUAL
TABOO
MARKET ECONOMY
SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER
HISTORY
MARRIED COUPLES
RESPECT
FEMALE SEXUALITY
PUBLIC POLICY
HOUSEHOLD WORK
POLITICAL CHANGE
ALTRUISM
CULTURES
PRINCIPLES
FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING
OWNERSHIP OF LAND
MUTILATION
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
CHILD‐REARING
CONDOM
EXOGAMY
SOCIOLOGY
POLICIES
SURVEYS
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
MEDIA
YOUNG PEOPLE
SYMBOLS
SOCIAL POLICY
SOCIETY
CHILD CARE
FUNERALS
MARRIAGE
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
CONDOM USE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
POLICY RESEARCH
FEWER PEOPLE
FAIRNESS
IMPACT ON CHILDREN
MODERNIZATION
RURAL COMMUNITIES
GENDER EQUALITY
PARENTAL LEAVE
WAR
FATHERHOOD
MANDATES
FAMILIES
ANTHROPOLOGIST
GENDER ROLES
SOCIAL STATUS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PRESSURE
FAMILY
Eriksson, Lina
Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7450
description Social norms affect almost every aspect of people’s lives, and can be an obstacle to or support economic development. This paper outlines what social norms are and how they work, providing examples from everyday life and from development case studies. Sometimes not much can be done about changing undesirable social norms. In those cases, development economists need to be aware of how the existence of those norms can impact the effects of the policies they advocate. But of particular importance to development economists is the ways in which social norms can be changed, at least under some circumstances. Understanding of social norm change is still patchy at best, but the paper outlines the theoretical underpinnings of change, with empirical evidence from various policies aimed at changing social norms. However, some of those policies raise ethical concerns that would require attention.
format Working Paper
author Eriksson, Lina
author_facet Eriksson, Lina
author_sort Eriksson, Lina
title Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
title_short Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
title_full Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
title_fullStr Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
title_full_unstemmed Social Norms Theory and Development Economics
title_sort social norms theory and development economics
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2015
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/10/25171546/social-norms-theory-development-economics
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/22863
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