From Intervention to Social Change


Book Description

This book explores the design, communication and implementation of social change programmes aimed at solving various social problems, from reducing health-risk behaviour to ’green’ consumption or financial literacy. Examining the application of social practice theory as a way of understanding social change, From Intervention to Social Change connects theoretical reflections with empirical research, sample cases and exercises, emphasising the importance of communication and community engagement in the initiation and implementation of social change programmes designed to address social problems and improve quality of life. Adopting a ’communication for social change’ approach and presenting illustrative studies drawn from ’developed’ and rapidly transforming countries, this handbook will appeal to project managers and communication professionals in the public and private sectors, as well as scholars of sociology, anthropology and development studies with interests in social problems and social change.




Health Behavior


Book Description

The essential health behavior text, updated with the latest theories, research, and issues Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides a thorough introduction to understanding and changing health behavior, core tenets of the public health role. Covering theory, applications, and research, this comprehensive book has become the gold standard of health behavior texts. This new fifth edition has been updated to reflect the most recent changes in the public health field with a focus on health behavior, including coverage of the intersection of health and community, culture, and communication, with detailed explanations of both established and emerging theories. Offering perspective applicable at the individual, interpersonal, group, and community levels, this essential guide provides the most complete coverage of the field to give public health students and practitioners an authoritative reference for both the theoretical and practical aspects of health behavior. A deep understanding of human behaviors is essential for effective public health and health care management. This guide provides the most complete, up-to-date information in the field, to give you a real-world understanding and the background knowledge to apply it successfully. Learn how e-health and social media factor into health communication Explore the link between culture and health, and the importance of community Get up to date on emerging theories of health behavior and their applications Examine the push toward evidence-based interventions, and global applications Written and edited by the leading health and social behavior theorists and researchers, Health Behavior: Theory, Research and Practice provides the information and real-world perspective that builds a solid understanding of how to analyze and improve health behaviors and health.




The Handbook of Behavior Change


Book Description

Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.




ABC of Behaviour Change Theories


Book Description

This book aims to facilitate the task of reviewing and selecting relevant theories to inform the design of behaviour change interventions and policies. The main goal is to provide on accessible source of potentially useful theories from a range of disciplines beyond those usually considered. It also provides on opportunity to analyse brood issues around the use of theory in the design of behaviour change interventions and examine areas where there is scope for improvement.




Theory at a Glance


Book Description




Changing Health Behaviour


Book Description

*Can theory-driven interventions using social cognition models change health behaviour? * How should theoretical models be adapted for intervention? * What are the implications for policy and practice? For many years, social cognition models have been at the forefront of research into predicting and explaining health behaviours. Until recently, there have been few attempts to go beyond prediction and understanding to intervention - but now the position has changed, and a number of excellent interventions have been set up. The purpose of this book is to bring them together in one volume. After an introductory chapter on the models and interventions to be included, there are nine chapters that each address a particular behaviour or set of behaviours, written by the authors of the interventions themselves. Chapters 2 to 4 examine risk-related behaviours (safer-sex; smoking; exposure to radon gas); Chapters 5 to 7 turn to health-enhancing behaviours and screening (reducing fat intake; uptake of vitamin C; breast self-examination; participation in cervical and colorectal cancer screening); and Chapters 8 to 10 explore road safety (speeding by drivers; pedestrian behaviour; and cycle helmet use). The chapters follow a common structure: a presentation of the 'epidemiological facts' about the behaviour and why an intervention was needed; an outline of the way in which the theoretical model being used was adapted for the intervention; a presentation of the experimental results; and a discussion of their theoretical and practical implications. The book ends with a chapter of commentary on the challenges of devising theory-based interventions. Following on from the highly successful Predicting Health Behaviour edited by Mark Conner and Paul Norman, this book will be recognised as a ground-breaking text in the psychology of health, for students, researchers and practitioners alike.




Knowledge Solutions


Book Description

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO license. This book comprehensively covers topics in knowledge management and competence in strategy development, management techniques, collaboration mechanisms, knowledge sharing and learning, as well as knowledge capture and storage. Presented in accessible “chunks,” it includes more than 120 topics that are essential to high-performance organizations. The extensive use of quotes by respected experts juxtaposed with relevant research to counterpoint or lend weight to key concepts; “cheat sheets” that simplify access and reference to individual articles; as well as the grouping of many of these topics under recurrent themes make this book unique. In addition, it provides scalable tried-and-tested tools, method and approaches for improved organizational effectiveness. The research included is particularly useful to knowledge workers engaged in executive leadership; research, analysis and advice; and corporate management and administration. It is a valuable resource for those working in the public, private and third sectors, both in industrialized and developing countries.







Social Practices, Intervention and Sustainability


Book Description

In an era of dramatic environmental change, social change is desperately needed to curb burgeoning consumption. Many calls to action have focused on individual behaviour or technological innovation, with relative silence from the social sciences on other modes and methods of intervening in social life. This book shows how we can go beyond behaviour change in the pursuit of sustainability. Inspired by the ‘practice turn’ in consumption studies, this interdisciplinary book looks through the lens of social practice theory to explore important and timely questions about how to intervene in social life. It discusses a range of applied sustainability topics including energy consumption, housing provision, water demand, transport, climate change, curbside recycling and smart grids, seeking to redefine what intervention is, how it happens, and who or what can intervene to address the growing list of environmental calamities facing contemporary societies. These issues are explored through a range of specific case studies from Australia, the UK and the US, providing theoretical insights that are of international relevance. The book will be of interest to researchers and students in the fields of sociology, consumption studies, environmental studies, geography, and science and technology studies, as well as policy makers and practitioners seeking to intervene in social life for sustainability.




Handbook of Wise Interventions


Book Description

Precise shifts in the ways people make sense of themselves, others, and social situations can help people flourish. This compelling handbook synthesizes the growing body of research on wise interventions--brief, nonclinical strategies that are "wise" to the impact of social-psychological processes on behavior. Leading authorities describe how maladaptive or pejorative interpretations can undermine people’s functioning and how they can be altered to produce benefits in such areas as academic motivation and achievement, health, well-being, and personal relationships. Consistently formatted chapters review the development of each intervention, how it can be implemented, its evidence base, and implications for solving personal and societal problems.