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 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.