Among the activities carried out by our project in Italy there is an innovative adaptation of the theory of social norms change to the Italian context. This approach, developed by UNICEF in 2014 as part of the Communities Care initiative in Somalia and later tested by the GET lead partner CISP in several African countries, works on individuals’ deep awareness by uncovering the invisible dynamics that shape behaviors and legitimize gender inequalities and violence.
To change social norms, it is essential to recognise them. Identifying them clearly and understanding the influence they have on our decisions is the fundamental prerequisite for developing the level of awareness needed to shift individual perspectives. But what exactly are social norms?
“Social norms are the perceived informal, mostly unwritten, rules that define acceptable and appropriate actions within a given group or community, thus guiding human behavior. They consist of what we do, what we believe others do, and what we believe others approve of and expect us to do. Social norms are therefore situated at the interplay between behavior, beliefs and expectations.” Source: UNICEF
Social norms are an extremely powerful – and often unconscious – force that guides how we act in the world. We often behave in a certain way because we believe that those around us act that way and/or expect that behavior from us. Being able to recognize this influence is the first step towards promoting lasting change in our actions.
The dynamics triggered by gender norms, a subset of social norms, are crucial to understanding the issue of gender inequalities addressed by our project. In adapting the methodology to the Italian context – by introducing it into school communities – project partner CISP began with an analysis phase of gender social norms, carried out through focus groups with students and teachers. This initial assessment made it possible to identify the mechanisms that, within schools and in students’ everyday lives, fuel discrimination. As Federica d’Andrea, Program Development Manager at CISP and an expert in this methodology, highlighted:
“The key aspect of this work is adapting it to the context: the initial analysis phase is extremely important in order to identify the right issues to work on within and together with the community.”
The strength of this methodology lies in its ability to build awareness over time by placing the individual and the community at the center. These are not one-off, purely informational interventions, but rather longer and more structured participatory processes that help people recognize the influence of social norms on their own behavior. To support this shift in perspective, the project also includes a phase of community engagement actions, designed and led directly by young people, through peer-to-peer activities and experiences that progressively involve the wider community.
Through these initiatives, GET Italy has embarked on a new path of reflection on social norms and gender inequalities in Lazio. In the coming months, we will continue to share this journey across all the project’s Italian communication channels: follow us so you don’t miss it.
Cover image | Credits @Fabrizio Toppi, Forradio.
