Author: Lori Zimmermann

By Diana Chigas and Cheyanne Scharbatke-Church. Those of us who work to stop abuse of power – in the form of corruption, criminal activity, violence, state capture, etc. – are increasingly recognizing that social norms are key to achieving sustainable behavior change. We assert that in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) social norms — the mutual expectations about what is typical and appropriate for members of a group — are even more important. Given their critical role in driving behavioral choices, programming that ignores social norms can have serious negative consequences.

Social norms exist within a group. They represent mutual expectations, not just common beliefs, within the group about what is the right way to behave in a particular situation. And it is the approval, disapproval or other social sanction from the members of the group that helps ensure compliance with the norm. Therefore, understanding the group — who is in and who is out — matters for programming.

Happy 2019 from the Corruption in Fragile States Blog! As we look back over the past year, we realize just how much has happened on the blog. In addition to a new web home with the Henry J. Leir Institute at The Fletcher School, new team members, and a substantial increase in subscribers, we have also added 9 posts, with 4 from guest bloggers, bringing our total posts to 65. As we reflect on the year and how to improve (feedback always welcome), we wanted to share with you the most popular posts of 2018.