Principles of Social Change:Partnerships for Social Justice

Leonard A. Jason, Ph.D.

DePaul University

Keynote address presented at the 2013 SCRA Biennial Conference, Miami, Fl.

The Starting Point?

Change begins by helping people identify issues for which they have strong feelings

– Paulo Freire (1970)

Social change more likely – we have a passionate interest

Intuition: Our Guide

Is the beginning of social change– recognition that something is wrong and unfair

The feeling is clear– something needs to change

Intuition can steer us in the right direction– toward second-order change

Principles of Social Change

Structural, second-order change Confronting power abuses Mobilizing coalitions Having a long-term time perspective Using feedback to fine tune work

Concrete Examples Illustrate How Efforts Directed Toward

Agenda setting Policy formulation Policy implementation Policy evaluation/revision

The First Principle of Social Change

Determining the nature of the change desired− cosmetic/short-term fix− address the root of the problem

First-Order Change

Attempts to eliminate deficits and problems – promises to solve the most deeply rooted

problems with simple solutions– provides, at best, short-term solutions– can render people powerless to overcome their

oppression

Second-Order Change Influences the individual and his or her social network Alters shared goals, roles, and power relationships

Environmental

Social

Individual

Bronfenbrenner (1977)Kelly (1968)Moos (1979)

Example Second-Order Change

Each year thousands of children are either injured or killed in car accidents – due to not being placed in appropriate infant

and car seats In the 1980s, leading cause of death for

children under one year of age– car accidents because infants were not in

appropriate infant seats

1980s, National Coalition Attempted Influence Legislation

Illinois Child Passenger Safety Association – a community-based organization

trying to get child restraint legislation

Focus on a Proposed Illinois Child Passenger Restraint Law

Children under the age of four required to be placed in an approved child or infant car seat

Children aged four to six required to be placed in either an approved restraint system or a secure seat belt

Could We Influence Illinois Legislators to Vote for this Bill?

Our research team collected behavioral data by looking inside cars to see whether or not infants and children were placed in car restraints– also collected telephone surveys regarding

attitudes toward child-restraint bill

In Collaboration with Illinois Organization

Sent critical information to random half of the state legislators– assess whether our targeted letter had made a

difference in voting for the bill Letter was received one week before vote

– the information was clear and concise» increased our chances that the letter would be both

read and remembered

Content in Letter to Legislators

140 children in Illinois were killed and 25,828 injured in automobile accidents – over the last 6 years

93 percent of Illinois children were not in adequate restraints while riding in cars

78 percent of adults supported the child passenger restraint bill

140 children

93 percent

78 percent

Significantly Increased Voting for the Bill

79% of Senators who received the information voted for passage of the bill– only 53% of Senators who did not receive the

letter voted for the bill Governor requested a copy of our findings

before signing the legislation

Immediate Behavioral Outcomes For children between the ages 1-4

− car restraint use increased from 13 to 42%

For infants less than one year of age− appropriate restraints increased from 49 to 74%

Longer-Term Outcomes

Comparing deaths two years before to the period two years after the law– Child deaths caused

by traffic accidents decreased by 53%

Comments Illinois Child Passenger Safety Association

“The data were helpful and important and of high priority to have as part of the armamentarium”

“The data were very, very interesting. It was a building block in the passage of the bill.”

“Those who had the data and understood them, it made them more forceful and vocal in support of the bill.”

Second-Order Change

We worked collaboratively with community-based organizations in Illinois – our data influenced legislative officials to

support laws that contributed to second-order change

» In this case protecting the safety of infants and children when driven in automobiles

Principle One: Focus on Second-Order Change

Only through more structural interventions will we make a significant difference in solving our social problems– Such as example involving legislative change

Second-order interventions direct precious resources in more productive ways– go beyond a reactive response by enacting

measures to avoid potential problems

The Second Principle of Social Change Identifying the power holders

− Creating second-order change can seem overwhelming − powerful people or organizations control whether

change will be enacted

− Social inequality are caused by an underlying abuse of power− redistributing power is often a crucial component to

second-order social movements

Causes of abuse and underlying power structure difficult to see clearly– gut instincts is powerful tool to uncover the

veiled power abuses We must use the same passion and intuition

that helps one see the path towards effective second order change– to identify and analyze the distribution of

power

The MOST preventable cause of premature disease and death

Tobacco kills over 400,000 people yearly

Case Example: Tobacco Industry

Tobacco industry is responsible for enticing many young people to begin smoking

Every day 3000 American adolescents become established smokers– of these children, 1,000 will eventually die of

tobacco-related illnesses

Tobacco Industry

Multiple efforts to widely distribute cigarettes to youth– how to fight this Industry that has vast resources?

Did You KnowDid You Know……

Early 1980s We launched school-based

smoking prevention programs– students told us merchants

were openly selling them cigarettes

– contradiction with our tobacco prevention messages

How To Stop the Tobacco Industry?

Person oriented approaches compromised by social and environmental factors such as merchants selling tobacco to youth

The Tobacco industry had power to influence any laws that could affect sales of tobacco to youth

Exploratory Study Our intuition pushed us to explore the

students’ critical input– assessed illegal merchant sales of tobacco– we sent youth into stores to purchase cigarettes

» over 80% of merchants sold cigarettes to minors

Media picks up our Study

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Officer Talbot Calls Me After Seeing This TV Broadcast Mentioned Woodridge Illinois had solved

this problem– sending letters to all the merchants

Collaboration began with collecting data– found over 70% of merchants sold tobacco to

youth

An Intervention is Designed to Deal with this Problem

Merchants in Woodridge were required to purchase a license to sell cigarettes

Fined up to $500 and/or one day license suspension for selling to minors

Minors caught smoking, $25 parking-style ticket (parents are notified)

Outcomes

Two years after implementing the two-pronged program– rates of merchant cigarette sales to minors decreased

from an average of 70% to less than 5%

– adolescent smoking decreased over fifty percent in a Woodridge junior high school

Officer Buzz Talbot of Woodridge: National Figure

Using Woodridge as his model, Officer Talbot was instrumental in the passage of a federal amendment– States are now bound by federal law to reduce illegal

sales of tobacco to minors

Officer Talbot worked with grass roots organizations throughout the U.S. in disseminating his successes in Woodridge

Invited testify congress during Tobacco Settlement– encourage progress in the

anti-tobacco movement» reducing youth access to

tobacco

» increasing costs of cigarettes

DiFranza (2009)

Laws prohibiting sales of cigarettes to minors and stepped up enforcement of those laws in the United States from 1997-2003– led to 20.8 percent drop in the odds of 10th

graders becoming daily smokers

Research Made Difference

Now a consensus that sales to minors should be prevented illustrated by– Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

unanimously adopted by the World Health Assembly

– attracted more than 172 member states representing 90 percent of the world’s population

Paradigm Shift Focusing on both the youth and their

environments and ultimately changing policy– initially over 80% of merchants sold minors

tobacco illegally– today the vast majority of merchants do not

Culminated in the passage of a federal amendment that led to states curtailing illegal sales of tobacco to youth

Second-Order Change Addressed Power Structures

Tobacco industry’s formidable resources– to manipulate American youth and provide

them easy access to tobacco Power holders like the Tobacco Industry

had to be challenged by coalitions – community psychologists can play an important

role in this advocacy effort

The Third Principle of Social Change

Focused and collective efforts can lead to broad second-order change through the use of our third principle− identifying and mobilizing individuals and

community groups to influence the cultural and political landscape affecting social change

The Key to the Third Principle

Citizen participation in democratic processes– ensure that community members have

meaningful involvement The third principle of social change

– community coalitions can change power structures that perpetuate first-order institutional ways of treating people

Oxford House Example Citizen Participation

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NIH Reviewers: Randomization I thought it was not possible -- as each OH

votes on whether to allow new people in – 7 years working on proposal with Paul Molloy – Paul said he would make it happen

Later learned another research group had approached Paul Molloy years before I had– They asked to do a randomized study– Paul said “no” to them as he had not built up a

supportive relationship of trust with them

Problem of NIMBY Lawyer asked for our help over a town

trying to close down the local Oxford House– claiming that there could be no more than five

unrelated individuals living in one home Examined our national Oxford House data

− we found that a larger house sizes or eight to ten residents less criminal behavior

Findings successfully used in several court cases stop closing Oxford Houses that had six or more non-related residents.

Paul Molloy’s note to me

“ …The dispute has been ongoing for six years! The town will pay attorney’s fees, which are about $105,000 and a fine to the Department of Justice. The key to their decision appears to be your research showing that larger houses had better outcomes than the smaller ones. Thanks. Once again reason and logic prevailed.”

Community coalitions Such as the example of Oxford House and

DePaul University– revolutionize how we treat our most vulnerable citizens

» millions need affordable housing

» millions of homes are available

» Oxford House represents one creative approach– deal both of these issues synergistically

Third Principle of Social Change

Community coalitions can be mobilized to transform many of the most serious problems that affect our society– can change power structures that perpetuate

institutional ways of treating people» bottom-up social change movements can create

community-based programs that allow people to be reintegrated into society

The Fourth Principle of Social Change

Second-order change takes time− progress can be gradual and uneven

− will be setbacks along the way Patience and a long-term commitment

– the fourth principle of social change– critical aspects of social change movements

Patience and Persistence

Essential − in opposing powerful vested interests intent on

maintaining the status quo

− and in amassing coalitions to confront institutionalized abuses of power

How Can Activists Stay Committed to a Cause?

Small wins can help sustain and mobilize citizen groups– to continue to pursue even larger objectives

In the pursuit of social justice– the importance of small wins cannot be

overemphasized

Case Example of Persistence

Over 60 million people have chronic health conditions– over age 40, 60% have one or more chronic

conditions One more controversial chronic illnesses is

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)− many health care professionals continue to

doubt the scientific validity

Consequences of Stigma

95% of individuals seeking medical treatment for CFS reported feelings of estrangement

66% of patients with CFS say their illness was made worse by doctor’s care

Multiple problem confronting patients with CFS

Called derogatory “Yuppie-Flu” Illness– contributed to the negative attitudes that health care

providers have towards those with this syndrome

The name given by CDC to the illness – trivial and stigmatized term

CDC’s case definition of CFS– did not specify cardinal symptoms

Tests used to diagnose CFS– were biased finding psychiatric problems

Example Inappropriate Research CFS only had a perception that they had

limitations in energy and activity

CFS

Control

Day 1 Day 2

Focus Prevalence Estimates CDC in the late 1980s and early 1990s suggested that

only about 20,000 people had this illness− characterized as having yuppie flu

If medical personnel believe that CFS is a relatively rare yuppie flu disorder− than physicians might minimize or misinterpret the

physical complaints of patients with CFS

– this could lead to the mistrust and lack of communication as reported by patients

Flaws CDC prevalence Case ascertainment methods

− physicians identified patients who presented with unexplained fatigue-related symptoms; referred those patients for a medical examination

Excluded low income individuals did not have access to medical settings − because many physicians doubted the existence of

CFS

− they might not have made referrals to CFS prevalence research studies

Use of Intuition to challenge these inappropriate methods

Gut feeling to reach out to patients, professionals, and organizations who might become potential allies

Over time, a network of collaborators assembled– several patients, graduate students– the CEO of the CFS patient organization– an epidemiologist, a physician, a psychiatrist, a

biostatistician, and a survey researcher

10 year effort Financial support from the largest CFS patient self-help

organization

− we conducted a small community based prevalence study

− our prevalence rates were considerably higher than reported by the CDC

Approached NIH program officials

− not that interested in a CFS prevalence Our intuition again led us to

– kept resubmitting grants until we were successful in securing NIH funding

DePaul Community Based Study

Phoned a random community-based sample of about 28,000 individuals

Those with who self-reported having symptoms – completed medical work ups

Findings Prior CDC estimates less than 20,000

– our estimates 800,000 to 1,000,000 Of those diagnosed with CFS

– 90% never been diagnosed prior our study– Jason et al. (1999)

Ethnic minorities had higher CFS rates than European-Americans– CFS rates were not greater among those with higher

incomes– so much for CFS being a rare, “yuppie flu”

Due to Wide Dissemination of this Study

Appointed the Chairperson of the Research Subcommittee of the CFS Advisory Committee– which makes recommendations regarding CFS to the US

Secretary of Health and Human Resources Next ten years, able to work on other policy related

issues– such as the inappropriate name given this illness (now

called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), an expanded case definition, CDC leadership problems

Small Wins It is easy to become overwhelmed when

confronting complex problems or power holders– by focusing on one small piece at a time, tangible

change and success can be achieved

Many Obstacles to Commitment

10 years worked on a prevalence study that successfully challenged the myth that CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) was a “Yuppie Flue” Disease– small wins during this time led to opportunities to

work at federal level – each small win functions as a life-affirming oasis

for activists

The Fifth Principle of Social Change

Measuring your success: − evaluations can help redefine the essence of each

principle of social change

− program evaluations can also − reveal weaknesses

− identify where the weaknesses stem from

− help focus efforts on critical stages of systemic change

The Last Principle of Social Change

The effects of social action are often not immediate or easily identifiable− while the dynamic nature of social activism

campaigns may make evaluation challenging Measuring progress is vital and lies at the

heart of each community strategy– can use self-report data, archival, policy, or

actual behaviors

Case Example: "Dog Pooper" study

After inviting an Alderman to my community psychology class− I said to myself I would tackle whatever he

mentioned as his most pressing community issue

When he responded to me that it was uncollected dog feces– my mouth fell open in disbelief

With Trepidation I counted all fresh dog

feces within an 8 by 5 block area – the fact that 1147

droppings were within this area

– dog litter was a serious and prevalent problem within our community

Getting Our Hands Dirty Recorded the following variables

for 5 hours daily in a block at DePaul University– the number of dogs– the number of dogs who defecated– the number of dog defecations

picked up by their owners– defecations were picked up and

weighed each morning

Changing Behaviors During the baseline phase

− few dog owners were observed to pick up after their dogs

− over 19 pounds of dog defecations were deposited in the target block

When anti-litter signs were posted − no changes on the criterion measures

When all dog owners were shown how to use a plastic bag to pick-up feces– 82% of the dog owners picked up after their dogs

Testified at a City Council Hearing

Reporter for the Chicago Daily News:– “In what surely must be the most bizarre

academic studies in the nation…”  – they subsequently calculated from our work

that 382,000 pounds of dog excrement was deposited on city streets daily

The reporter told me that “the story generated great readership interest”

Editorial in the Sun Times “We’re not sure what contribution this study makes to the discipline 

of psychology, but if it persuades the city council to pass a stronger ordinance to discipline dog owners, it will have been more than worth the effort…the city could always fund the professor’s research project. The pursuit of knowledge aside, it did manage to clean up one neighborhood.”

A cartoon in the  Chicago Daily News of had a dog with a diaper on him with the title:

Solution to a problem

Community Groups Seek Help a 9-month collaborative relationship with

another Alderman and a community group– expressed interest in reducing dog litter

Outcomes at a 13-month follow-up

100

90

80

70

0Entire Area Target Block

Percent Reduction in Dog Litter

Per

cent

age

Red

uctio

n

Policy Outcomes

Testified at City Hall to support a proposed ordinance– require dog owners to have in their possession a

pooper scooper when walking dogs This ordinance was passed by the City

Council– Chicago one of the first cities in the country to

pass a pooper scooper ordinance 

For the first time, the legislators were willing to seriously consider enacting legislation to help alleviate the dog litter problem

Chicago’s ordinance became a model for other similar ordinances in towns around the country

Final Principle of Social Change

Consider the tangible short- and long-term results of our activities

Using evaluation techniques – we can determine whether or not a particular

intervention or social change strategy has achieved its goals

– few initiatives are successful without some type of documentation to support our efforts

Five Principles of Social Change Determining the nature of the change desired: is it a

cosmetic, short-term fix, or does it address the root of the problem.

Identify the power holders Creating coalitions: identifying and working with others

who share your goals. Learning patience and persistence: small wins are

crucial to attaining long-term goals. Constantly evaluate and refine strategies and tactics to

find the most effective means of bringing about change

Examples Using these Principles

Reduce children’s death through encouraging use of appropriate seat restraints

Reduce youth access to tobacco as well as decreasing youth tobacco use

Promote the expansion of safe housing for people with addictions

Challenge inappropriate myths and stigma regarding chronic fatigue syndrome

Promote laws to reduce uncollected dog litter

Lessons Learned Each principle of social change represents

part of the social change journey− but they are subtly interrelated

When used tactfully in concert– they can create an unstoppable force in any

movement

Thanks to all my collaborators and the staff and volunteers at my

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