A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing--health & population

A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing -- health & population, T. S. Epstein, Ed. (Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi) 1999. 182 pages. Price: Rs. 225/- ; ISBN 0-7619-9334-7

Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon yet adaptive to change. However, change in behaviour depends on factors like intensity of felt need, stimulus, threat perception, inducement of motivational elements, and enabling conditions of people. In certain situations - natural, incidental or created, the innate tendency of innovativeness does impel people either for adoption of a new behaviour or resistance to the planned change.

Often researchers, planners, and development and health practitioners depend on their own perceptions, experiences and judgements for programme/project planning and implementation due to their confidence and convenience or due to nonavailability and lack of awareness about suitable guidelines or manuals. However, in either situation, the importance of such guiding source may not be ignored. Though this manual has a distinctive advantage to health and population related programmes/projects where behavioural change is envisaged, it is sequel to the two earlier manuals, namely Manual for Culturally - Adapted Market Research in the Development Process (1988) and the Training Manual for Development Market Research Investigators (1991)

The manual appears a timely guide to encourage and facilitate behavioural change, particularly in the areas of health and population. The researchers, planners and practitioners of health and population development will find it quite succinct and powerful tool to use in their endeavours to behavioural change with confidence. The tenets of the manual dwell on the understanding of behaviour of the population targeted for change, importance of social marketing and how the culturally adapted social marketing (CASM) needs to be conducted to help people behave in manners useful to their health in particular and development in general.

The manual contains four parts. Part I deals with introduction, stretching from the purpose of the manual to client-led development, cultural ly-adapted social market research, how can socially desirable behavIOUral changes be encouraged, etc. Part II is devoted to culturally-adapted social marketing (CASM) in theory and practice. Part III reports some case studies on safe motherhood, family planning, mother-child health and community self-help programme, in different countries using CASM approach. To encourage the readers design a CASM strategy, the part IV explains the strategy to reduce the incidence of female genital Mutilation. The individual sections/chapters contained in each part of the manual enlist useful and contextual titles and are recommended for reading. The notes on the background of the contributors, given at the end of the manual. are to help readers to understand the depth of the postulateS and derive maximum benefits from the manual. The tables, figures and chapters are placed and distributed suitably in this manual. They add to the understanding of the steps and experiences discussed in the respective chapters. The sketches being simple, successfully indicate action and purpose for which they have been designed and shown in different chapters. They may not arouse culture shock or stress to the readers with inter-culture affiliations.

The use of simple language by the contributors and uniformity in language flow reflects the editorial marvel. The manual is recommended for reading to those who plan, implement, supervise and evaluate health population and development programmes and research projects.

[Author Affiliation]

Dr R.N. Gupta Dy Director-General Divn. of Reproductive Health & Nutrition Indian Council of Medical Research New Delhi-1 10029

A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing--health & population

A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing -- health & population, T. S. Epstein, Ed. (Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi) 1999. 182 pages. Price: Rs. 225/- ; ISBN 0-7619-9334-7

Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon yet adaptive to change. However, change in behaviour depends on factors like intensity of felt need, stimulus, threat perception, inducement of motivational elements, and enabling conditions of people. In certain situations - natural, incidental or created, the innate tendency of innovativeness does impel people either for adoption of a new behaviour or resistance to the planned change.

Often researchers, planners, and development and health practitioners depend on their own perceptions, experiences and judgements for programme/project planning and implementation due to their confidence and convenience or due to nonavailability and lack of awareness about suitable guidelines or manuals. However, in either situation, the importance of such guiding source may not be ignored. Though this manual has a distinctive advantage to health and population related programmes/projects where behavioural change is envisaged, it is sequel to the two earlier manuals, namely Manual for Culturally - Adapted Market Research in the Development Process (1988) and the Training Manual for Development Market Research Investigators (1991)

The manual appears a timely guide to encourage and facilitate behavioural change, particularly in the areas of health and population. The researchers, planners and practitioners of health and population development will find it quite succinct and powerful tool to use in their endeavours to behavioural change with confidence. The tenets of the manual dwell on the understanding of behaviour of the population targeted for change, importance of social marketing and how the culturally adapted social marketing (CASM) needs to be conducted to help people behave in manners useful to their health in particular and development in general.

The manual contains four parts. Part I deals with introduction, stretching from the purpose of the manual to client-led development, cultural ly-adapted social market research, how can socially desirable behavIOUral changes be encouraged, etc. Part II is devoted to culturally-adapted social marketing (CASM) in theory and practice. Part III reports some case studies on safe motherhood, family planning, mother-child health and community self-help programme, in different countries using CASM approach. To encourage the readers design a CASM strategy, the part IV explains the strategy to reduce the incidence of female genital Mutilation. The individual sections/chapters contained in each part of the manual enlist useful and contextual titles and are recommended for reading. The notes on the background of the contributors, given at the end of the manual. are to help readers to understand the depth of the postulateS and derive maximum benefits from the manual. The tables, figures and chapters are placed and distributed suitably in this manual. They add to the understanding of the steps and experiences discussed in the respective chapters. The sketches being simple, successfully indicate action and purpose for which they have been designed and shown in different chapters. They may not arouse culture shock or stress to the readers with inter-culture affiliations.

The use of simple language by the contributors and uniformity in language flow reflects the editorial marvel. The manual is recommended for reading to those who plan, implement, supervise and evaluate health population and development programmes and research projects.

[Author Affiliation]

Dr R.N. Gupta Dy Director-General Divn. of Reproductive Health & Nutrition Indian Council of Medical Research New Delhi-1 10029

A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing--health & population

A manual for culturally-adapted social marketing -- health & population, T. S. Epstein, Ed. (Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi) 1999. 182 pages. Price: Rs. 225/- ; ISBN 0-7619-9334-7

Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon yet adaptive to change. However, change in behaviour depends on factors like intensity of felt need, stimulus, threat perception, inducement of motivational elements, and enabling conditions of people. In certain situations - natural, incidental or created, the innate tendency of innovativeness does impel people either for adoption of a new behaviour or resistance to the planned change.

Often researchers, planners, and development and health practitioners depend on their own perceptions, experiences and judgements for programme/project planning and implementation due to their confidence and convenience or due to nonavailability and lack of awareness about suitable guidelines or manuals. However, in either situation, the importance of such guiding source may not be ignored. Though this manual has a distinctive advantage to health and population related programmes/projects where behavioural change is envisaged, it is sequel to the two earlier manuals, namely Manual for Culturally - Adapted Market Research in the Development Process (1988) and the Training Manual for Development Market Research Investigators (1991)

The manual appears a timely guide to encourage and facilitate behavioural change, particularly in the areas of health and population. The researchers, planners and practitioners of health and population development will find it quite succinct and powerful tool to use in their endeavours to behavioural change with confidence. The tenets of the manual dwell on the understanding of behaviour of the population targeted for change, importance of social marketing and how the culturally adapted social marketing (CASM) needs to be conducted to help people behave in manners useful to their health in particular and development in general.

The manual contains four parts. Part I deals with introduction, stretching from the purpose of the manual to client-led development, cultural ly-adapted social market research, how can socially desirable behavIOUral changes be encouraged, etc. Part II is devoted to culturally-adapted social marketing (CASM) in theory and practice. Part III reports some case studies on safe motherhood, family planning, mother-child health and community self-help programme, in different countries using CASM approach. To encourage the readers design a CASM strategy, the part IV explains the strategy to reduce the incidence of female genital Mutilation. The individual sections/chapters contained in each part of the manual enlist useful and contextual titles and are recommended for reading. The notes on the background of the contributors, given at the end of the manual. are to help readers to understand the depth of the postulateS and derive maximum benefits from the manual. The tables, figures and chapters are placed and distributed suitably in this manual. They add to the understanding of the steps and experiences discussed in the respective chapters. The sketches being simple, successfully indicate action and purpose for which they have been designed and shown in different chapters. They may not arouse culture shock or stress to the readers with inter-culture affiliations.

The use of simple language by the contributors and uniformity in language flow reflects the editorial marvel. The manual is recommended for reading to those who plan, implement, supervise and evaluate health population and development programmes and research projects.

[Author Affiliation]

Dr R.N. Gupta Dy Director-General Divn. of Reproductive Health & Nutrition Indian Council of Medical Research New Delhi-1 10029