Description
Creating a new social norm that can be fake and silly, seeing nails without nail polish will be treated the same way as seeing someone without clothes. It is seen as rude and inappropriate to have naked nails in public, but you can do what you please in the comfort of your own home.
In order to do this:
1. Contextualize the issue: what is it, what are the tools used to carry it out (material or non-material objects), how often does it occur? is it consistent in its form and function, if so how, etc.
2. Describe who is involved (either as audience or participant). Who is more likely to participate in both the existing and new norm? why? What makes the new norm appealing to the population?
3. What kinds of tools (material and nonmaterial cultural objects) would you require to create the new norm? Are there steps or stages that would need to be implemented? Describe them and the variation in the tools or objects that would be required.
4. What kinds of indicators would you need to know when the new norm has become part of society? What will indicate saturation? What kinds of outcomes are you hoping to see? How will the norm be reinforced?
For example, creating the norm of recycling there were a number of precipitating events including a change in the environmental movement, the status of landfill sites and the change in technology associated with garbage processing. There were a number of types of campaigns (such as blue bag/blue box) including educational programming at a number of levels (schools, households, community, etc.) and other incentives employed to create a change in language, behaviour and awareness of the issue. Saturation was apparent when it became part of the everyday practice, for example, garbage sorting, waste management, etc.
