Social Norms Chat

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 How can governments work towards behavior change, using social norms frameworks? 

In this season's finale, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Gwen Dereymaeker and Cameron Cyster, former and current servants at the Western Cape Government. Together, they talk about how government decisions shape everyday life, challenges, good examples and the impact of social norms on health policy. 

Recommendations by Gwen and Cameron: 

• Nudge - Richard Thaler and Cass Sustein
• Better Politics Podcast
• Inside the Manosphere (2026)

Social Norms Chat is taking a break after this season where we welcomed amazing guests. During our break, don't hesitate to reach out via LinkedIn and listen to all 22 episodes available! 

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

Follow us on LinkedIn - and message us if you have questions, suggestions or comments!

Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Gwen Dereymaeker and Cameron Cyster
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabussum Akter

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 How can collective action be triggered and maintained at scale and how can we use that for change? 

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Györgyi Galik, from Dark Matter Labs / Governing Together. Together, they talk about innovations at the local level, focusing on citizen participation and its importance. 

Check Governing Together's summary introduction here. 

Mentions and Recommendations made by Györgyi: 

• Caroline Lucas 
• Kate Crawford
• Chris Anderson
• Olga Kusinskaya (2023) The Politics of Invisibility Public Knowledge about Radiation Health Effects after Chernobyl 
• Holly Buck (2024) A Climate Disinformation Focus Takes Us the Wrong Way 
  
  

More about relationality, one of the main concepts mentioned during this episode:

Relationality refers to the underlying web of relationship dynamics, interactions, and exchanges through which governance actually happens. It is not an add-on to institutions or processes. It is the condition within which they operate. At its core, relationality recognises that:

• people, institutions, and systems are interdependent and entangled
• outcomes emerge from patterns of interaction, not only from individuals, intentions, formal decisions, norms, or structures
• governance is shaped as much by how we relate as by what we decide

Relationality might include:

• Relationships between people and groups
  Trust, mistrust, care, conflict, reciprocity
• Flows and exchanges
  Information, resources, power, attention, legitimacy
• Feedback loops
  How we learn, iterate, and how signals travel, are interpreted, and influence present and future action
• Collective sense-making
  How shared understanding is formed, contested, and stabilised
• Institutional arrangements
  The formal and informal rules that shape how interactions happen
• Value logics
  What is considered valid, important, or legitimate within a system
• Everyday practices and enactment
  How daily practices are implemented and exercised through the design of ‘soft infrastructures’ – tools, processes, and practices that translate intentions and policies into institutional capacity

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Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Györgyi Galik
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter

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  What is the importance of supporting leadership development?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Caren Wakoli, from Emerging Leaders Foundation. Together, they talk about the role of mentorship, value-driven leadership and TransformNorms, a fellowship programme that is co-hosted with Emerging Leaders. 

Our Recommendation:

TransformNorms Toolkit: in order to use it, download it and open it on a PDF reader in order to fill in the gaps. In case you fill it out and want to send us your final result or ask questions, feel free to reach out on [email protected].

Caren's Recommendation: 

The Impossible Dream - Man of La Mancha

Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

Invictus (2009)

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Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Caren Wakoli
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Dora Ehrlich

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  How can we engage boys and men for dialogue and gender norms change?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Harish Sadani, from Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA). Together, they talk about the evolution of masculinity conversations over the years, the importance of addressing social norms and the need for long-term engagement with men and boys to foster change.

Our Recommendation:

Fraym's Gender Norms Resource Hub - Data Engine

Harish's Recommendation: 

The Mask You Live In, 2015

Miss Representation, 2011

The Macho Paradox, Jackson Katz

Tough Guise, 1999

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

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Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Harish Sadani
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter

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  How can we push for digital rights and protect politicians from online violence? What is the role of platforms, governments and civil society?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Paulina Ibarra, from Fundación Multitudes. Together, they talk about work countering violence against politicians and the how the world we currently live in contributes or not for this phoenomena.

Our Recommendation:

Political Leadership Norms and Women in Politics

In case you are interested in finding out more about Political Leadership Norms, how do they affect women in politics and what can be done to tackle negative norms and their impacts or to support new better norms, take a look at the resource above. For legal frameworks all over the world on the specific topic of violence against politicians and public officeholders, check the resource below.

Safety in Office - Global Law Repository

Paulina's Recommendation: 

The Information Animal - Alicia Wanless

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

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Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Paulina Ibarra
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Dora Ehrlich

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  How can we use faith leadership to change social norms? What happens when faith leaders challenge violence? 

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia Riederer seats with Uwezo Baghuma Lele, from Tearfund. They talk about faith leaders as potential agents of norms change, evidence of impact in conflict-affected contexts and the challenges of faith-based engagement. And more: with first-hand facilitation stories that can inspire your work too. 

Our Recommendation:

Deep Dive: A Country-Specific Exploration of Evidence Addressing Gender Norms through Programming with Men and Boys in Kenya

More on Uwezo's research work

Uwezo's Recommendation: 

 Changing Norms through Actions: The Evolution of Sovereignty by Jennifer M. Ramos

Transforming Masculinities

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

Follow us on LinkedIn - and message us if you have questions, suggestions or comments!

Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Uwezo Baghuma Lele
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter

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How can we smartly use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools at behavior change initiatives?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia is joined by Sarah Osman, from Osman Advisory Services. They talk about the recent evolution of technologies, good practices and innovations. 

Our Recommendation:

AI uses in behavior change & social projects

GRIT - Gender Rights in Tech

Sarah's Recommendations:

LeLapa

Canva's AI data communication tools

Lovable

Farmer Chat, from Digital Green

UNDP Panama - AI for cocreation

Jakaranda Health

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

Follow us on LinkedIn - and message us if you have questions, suggestions or comments!

Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Sarah Osman
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Dora Ehrlich

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 How can we build and strengthen capacities in order to promote gender norms change?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia is joined by Lori Heise, from Prevention Collaborative. They talk about gender norms, violence prevention, and how practitioners can effectively design programs for social change. 

Our Recommendation:

Transforming Gender Norms for Violence Prevention, an accessible and comprehensive course by Prevention Collaborative. 

In the episode, we also mentioned the article Theory and practice of social norms interventions: eight common pitfalls, by Lori Heise and Ben Cislaghi.

Lori's Recommendations:

Book: The Bone People, by Keri Hulme. 

Use along the Transforming Social Norms Toolkit. 

Follow us on LinkedIn - and message us if you have questions, suggestions or comments!

Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Lori Heise
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter

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 What can be do inside your organization to help you better drive changes in the outside?

In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia, Helene Wolf and Anusha Bharadwaj, Co-Executive Directors at Fair Share of Women Leaders talk about feminist leadership and how internal changes in organizations can drive good change for everyone.

Our Recommendation:

Feminist Project Management offers tools and insights on every step of the project management cycle and how can you implement feminist practices, collective decision making, and feminist ways to understand monitoring and evaluation.

Check out the toolkit "Feminist Leaders for Feminist Goals" and the Feminist Leadership Hub from Fair Share.

Anusha's and Helene's Recommendations:

Book: Seeing Like a Feminist by Nivedita Menon

The Feminist Leadership Project

Podcast: Guilty Feminist

Podcast: Lead Like a Feminist

The 12-week Feminist Leadership Programme, by We Are Feminist Leaders

Follow us on LinkedIn - and message us if you have questions, suggestions or comments!

Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Helene Wolf and Anusha Bharadwaj
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter

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What do social and gender norms have to do with online gender-based violence and what can we do to tackle it?

 In this episode of Social Norms Chat, host Cäcilia and Chioma Agwuegbo, Executive Director at TechHerNG, talk about how important it is and how to tackle techonology facilitated violence.

Our Recommendation:

Transforming Social Norms Toolkit

This toolkit by TransformNorms is perfect to think about your next social norms intervention, either on your own or as a brainstorming tool with your team. By filling in gaps into a fillable and shareable PDF, you’ll slowly build a theory of change.

Check out Kuram: https://kuramng.org/ 

Chioma's Recommendation:

Catching the Tinder Predator

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women

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Executive producer and host: Cäcilia Riederer
Special guest: Chioma Agwuegbo
Producer and writer: Dora Ehrlich
Editor: Tabusum Akter