WHAT I LEARNED TODAY: Day 07 of the free online C-Modules course on social and behaviour change communication

I am currently reviewing Module 0 (Facilitator’s Handbook), which lays an important foundation for the rest of the course. It breaks down concepts and principles that are to be used throughout the course.

These include:

1. THE DEFINITION OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (SBCC)
2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
3. CURRENT PROJECTS
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF SBCC
5. TEN SBCC PRINCIPLES
6. THE THEORETICAL BASE OF THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL MODEL

On Day 05 I reviewed sub heading four: “Characteristics of SBCC”. I learned that SBCC has three (3) characteristics:

1) SBCC is a process.

• It is interactive, researched, planned and strategic;
• It aims to change social conditions and individual behaviours.

2) SBCC applies a comprehensive, socio-ecological model to identify effective tipping points for change by examining:

• individual knowledge, motivation, and other behaviour change communication concepts
• social, cultural, and gender norms, skills, physical and economic access, and legislation that contribute to an enabling environment

3) SBCC uses 3 key strategies:

• ADVOCACY – to raise resources as well as political and social leadership commitment to development actions and goals
• SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – for wider participation, coalition building, and ownership, including community mobilization
• BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION – for changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices among specific audiences

Over the next few days, I will discuss each of these characteristics in detail.

TODAY I WILL REVIEW CHARACTERISTIC 2: SBCC uses a socio-ecological model for change, and I shall specifically focus on defining ‘theories’ and ‘models’

SBCC falls under the broad umbrella of development communication, which is guided by theories and models.

A THEORY is a systematic and organized explanation of events or situations. It tests assumptions. Theories are developed from a set of concepts (or constructs) that explain and predict events and situations and clarify the relationship between different variables. For example, the Agenda-Setting Theory, often used in advocacy, argues that media coverage shapes what audiences think. (I understood this to mean: “A theory is an idea that explains a course of action”.)

It is important to note that adequately addressing an issue may require more than one theory, and no one theory is suitable for all cases.

A MODEL is usually less specific than a theory, and often draws upon multiple theories to try to explain a given phenomenon. For example the Health Belief Model suggests that individual beliefs affect behaviours.

Interested in signing up for this course? CLICK HERE.

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C-Modules were developed by C-Change, funded by USAID under Cooperative Agreement No. GPO-A-00-07-0004-00. The six modules can be freely downloaded and used, provided full credit is given to C-Change as follows: C-Change (Communication for Change). 2011. C-Modules: A Learning Package for Social and Behavior Change Communication. Washington, DC: FHI 360/C-Change.