Overview
"Sunstein's book is illuminating because it puts norms at the center of how we think about change."āDavid Brooks, The New York Times
How does social change happen? When do social movements take off? Sexual harassment was once something that women had to endure; now a movement has risen up against it. White nationalist sentiments, on the other hand, were largely kept out of mainstream discourse; now there is no shortage of media outlets for them. In this book, with the help of behavioral economics, psychology, and other fields, Cass Sunstein casts a bright new light on how change happens.
Sunstein focuses on the crucial role of social normsāand on their frequent collapse. When norms lead people to silence themselves, even an unpopular status quo can persist. Then one day, someone challenges the normāa child who exclaims that the emperor has no clothes; a woman who says āme too.ā Sometimes suppressed outrage is unleashed, and long-standing practices fall.
Sometimes change is more gradual, as ānudgesā help produce new and different decisionsāapps that count calories; texted reminders of deadlines; automatic enrollment in green energy or pension plans. Sunstein explores what kinds of nudges are effective and shows why nudges sometimes give way to bans and mandates. Finally, he considers social divisions, social cascades, and āpartyism,ā when identification with a political party creates a strong bias against all members of an opposing partyāwhich can both fuel and block social change.
This book title, How Change Happens, ISBN: 9780262538985, by Cass R. Sunstein, published by MIT Press (April 14, 2020) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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