1. Home
  2. Vol 22, No 1 (2018)
  3. Cislaghi

Social Norms and Adolescents’ Sexual Health: An Introduction for Practitioners Working in Low and Mid-income African countries

Beniamino Cislaghi(1), Holly Shakya(2),


(1) Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London,
(2) School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
Corresponding Author

Abstract


Donors, practitioners and scholars are increasingly interested in harnessing the potential of social norms theory to improve adolescents‘ sexual and reproductive health outcomes. However, social norms theory is multifaceted, and its application in field interventions is complex. An introduction to social norms that will be beneficial for those who intend to integrate a social norms perspective in their work to improve adolescents‘ sexual health in Africa is presented. First three main schools of thought on social norms, looking at the theoretical standpoint of each, are discussed. Next, the difference between two important types of social norms (descriptive and injunctive) is explained and then the concept of a ―reference group‖ is examined. The difference between social and gender norms are then considered, highlighting how this difference is motivated by existing yet contrasting approaches to norms (in social psychology and gender theory). In the last section, existing evidence on the role that social norms play in influencing adolescents‘ sexual and reproductive health are reviewed. Conclusions call for further research and action to understand how norms affecting adolescents‘ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) can be changed in sub-Saharan Africa. (Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22[1]: 38-46).

References


Gibbs JP. Norms: The Problem of Definition and Classification. American Journal of Sociology. 1965;70(5):586-94.

Shaffer LS. Toward Pepitone's Vision of a Normative Social Psychology: What is a Social Norm? The Journal of Mind and Behavior. 1983;4(2):275-93.

Lapinski MK and Rimal RN. An Explication of Social Norms. Communication Theory. 2005;15(2):127-47.

Brennan G, Eriksson L, Goodin RE and Southwood N. Explaining norms. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2013. 1 volume p.

Huang PH and Wu H-M. More Order without More Law: A Theory of Social Norms and Organizational Cultures. Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization. 1994;10(2):390-406.

Anderson E. Beyond Homo Economicus: New Developments in Theories of Social Norms. Philosophy and Public Affairs. 2000;29(2):170-200.

Elsenbroich C and Gilbert N. Modelling Norms.

Elsenbroich C, Gilbert N, editors. Amsterdam: Springer Netherlands; 2014 2014/01/01. 15-39 p.

Turiel E. The Culture of Morality: Social Development, Context, and Conflict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2002.

Cislaghi B and Heise L. Four avenues of normative influence. Health Psychology. 2018.

Bell DC and Cox ML. Social Norms: Do We Love Norms Too Much? Journal of Family Theory Review. 2015 Mar 01;7(1):28-46. PubMed PMID: 25937833. PMCID: PMC4412469. Epub 2015/05/06.

Mackie G, Moneti F, Shakya H and Denny E. What are Social Norms? How are they measured? 2015.

Stuntz W. Self-Defeating Crimes. Virginia Law Review. 2000;86:1871-82.

Mackie G. Effective Rule of Law Requires Construction of a Social Norm of Legal Obedience. In: Tognato C, editor. Rethinking Cultural Agency: The Significance of Antanas Mockus. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 2015.

Dubreuil B and Grégoire J-F. Are moral norms distinct

from social norms? A critical assessment of Jon Elster and Cristina Bicchieri. Theory and Decision. 2012;75(1):137-52.

Haidt J. The Moral Mind: How 5 Sets of Innate Intuitions Guide the Development of Many Culture-Specific Virtues, and Perhaps Even Modules. In: Carruthers P, Laurence S, Stich S, editors. The Innate Mind. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007. p. 367–91.

Bettenhausen K and Murnighan K. The Emergence of Norms in Competitive Decision-Making Groups. Administrative Science Quarterly. 1985;30(1985):350-72.

Labovitz S and Hagedorn R. Measuring Social Norms. The Pacific Sociological Review. 1973;16(3):283-303.

Katz D and Allport FH. Student Attitudes. Syracuse, N.Y: Craftsman; 1931.

Prentice DA and Miller DT. Pluralistic ignorance and alcohol use on campus: Some consequences of misperceiving the social norm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1993 (64):243-56.

Cialdini RB and Goldstein NJ. Social influence: compliance and conformity. Annu Rev Psychol. 2004;55:591-621. PubMed PMID: 14744228.

Cialdini RB, Kallgren CA and Reno RR. A focus theory of normative conduct: A theoretical refinement and reevaluation of the role of norms in human behavior. Advances in experimental social psychology. 1991;24(20):1-243.

Cialdini RB and Trost MR. Social influence: Social norms, conformity and compliance. In: Gilbert DT, Fiske ST, Lindzey G, editors. The handbook of social psychology. II. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1998. p. 367–91.

Schultz PW, Nolan JM, Cialdini RB, Goldstein NJ and Griskevicius V. The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power of social norms. Psychol Sci. 2007 May;18(5):429-34. PubMed PMID: 17576283.

Bicchieri C. The Grammar of Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2006.

Griskevicius V, Cialdini RB and Goldstein NJ. Social Norms: An Underestimated And Underemployed Lever For Managing Climate Change International Journal for Sustainability Communication. 2008;3:5-13.

Priolo D, Milhabet I, Codou O, Fointiat V, Lebarbenchon E and Gabarrot F. Encouraging ecological behaviour through induced hypocrisy and inconsistency. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2016;47:166-80.

Hamann KRS, Reese G, Seewald D and Loeschinger DC. Affixing the theory of normative conduct (to your mailbox): Injunctive and descriptive norms as predictors of anti-ads sticker use. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 2015;44:1-9.

de Groot JIM and Schuitema G. How to make the unpopular popular? Policy characteristics, social norms and the acceptability of environmental policies. Environmental Science & Policy. 2012;19-20:100-7.

Borsari B and Carey KB. Descriptive and Injunctive Norms in College Drinking: A Meta- Analytic Integration. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2003;64(3):331-41.

Prestwich A, Kellar I, Conner M, Lawton R, Gardner P and Turgut L. Does changing social influence engender changes in alcohol intake? A meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2016;84(10):845-60.

Reilly DW and Wood MD. A randomized test of a small- group interactive social norms intervention. J Am Coll Health. 2008 Jul-Aug;57(1):53-60. PubMed PMID: 18682346.

Dams-O'Connor K, Martin JL and Martens MP. Social norms and alcohol consumption among intercollegiate athletes: the role of athlete and nonathlete reference groups. Addictive Behavior. 2007 Nov;32(11):2657-66. PubMed PMID: 17544589.

Perkins HW. Social Norms and the Prevention of Alcohol Misuse in Collegiate Contexts. Journal of Studies on Alcohol. 2002;14.

Perkins HW and Berkowitz A. Perceiving the community norms of alcohol use among students: Some research implications for campus alcohol education programming. International Journal of the Addictions. 1986;21:961–76.

Prince MA and Carey KB. The malleability of injunctive norms among college students. Addict Behav. 2010 Nov; 35(11):940-7. PubMed PMID: 20598806. PMCID: PMC2929486.


Full Text: PDF

Article Metrics

Abstract View : 774 times
PDF Download : 370 times

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.