Can Man Change Society ?
Man is born free but finds himself in chains, said the French Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau more than two centuries ago. The chains that Rousseau referred to are all made by man – the head of the clan/tribe/religion - to fit the man in the social life of his town/city/society. These chains make life smooth for both the society and the man. When the chains become constraints on society's progress or man's growth, a leader comes along to change the rules of society. There are many examples in history. Sri Krishna of Geeta was one, Jesus Christ of the Sermon on the Mount was another and Prophet Mohammad was the third who brought about remarkable changes in society of their times. They all set new norms for society and people.
In the democratic era, it is the collective wisdom of the people expressed in the Constitution and represented in the Parliament set the norms for society. Carrots and sticks are always used by the government to goad people in the right direction. Now the behavioural economists entered this field. In an article, How Obama is using the science of change,(the Time Magazine,April 13,2009), writer Michael Grunwald, explains how behavioural scientists helped Obama to get overwhelming response to his theme of change and how they would like to change the attitude and behaviour of American people to create a better society.
Grunwald says that the Consortium of Behavoiural Scientists, a secret advisory group of 29, sent a simple message, " A Record Turnout is Expected" and that exactly what happened. "People want to do what they think others will do," says Cialdini, author of the best seller, Influence and adds, " The Obama campaign really got that." According to this group the most powerful motivator for hotel guests to reuse towels, national park visitors to stay on marked trails and citizens to vote is the suggestion that everyone is doing it.
The author writes that Obama won the election because he looked like change, sounded like change and never stopped campaigning for change. He called for change in all Americans and said, " We are the change we've been waiting for." It reminds us the message of Mahatma Gandhi – that change begins with the individual.
The study of human behaviour has found that man responds not just through laws and incentives but through 'subtler nudges' that preserve freedom of action while encouraging to make better choices. A study in 2001 found that only 36% of women joined the retirement plans ( 402 – k) when they were asked to sign up for it while 86% participated in it when they were asked to opt out it. After Oprah in her famous TV show asked her viewers to buy energy-efficient light-bulbs there was a run on it. Michelle Obama's White House vegetable garden is intended to encourage Americans to use fresh produce.
Grunwald has four strategies to alter behaviour of people : (a) Make it clear – better information (on energy, diets, environment etc.) help make better choices; (b) Make it easy – men are more likely to save for retirement or be organ donors if they are automatically signed up to do so as a default and take action to opt out; ( c ) Nothing drives behaviour more than the power of conformity – home-owners are likely to save energy or recycle when they think everyone else is doing it; (d) Make it mandatory – when all else fails, make it compulsory. The four strategies reminds us our age-old wisdom – sama (reason), dana (incentive), bheda ( preference) and danda (law).
We in India have to change many things in society – energy conservation & efficiency, stopping wastage of water, cleanliness, waste disposal and use for energy generation or organic manure and many other things. These things can be implemented by co-operative housing societies in cities like Mumbai and Chennai. Chennai has taken a lead rain-water harvesting and this could be easily spread across India. Solar power for bath-water heating and solar-cookers could be made popular by NGOs and Corporates as a social responsibility. Government gives incentives for solar power but it needs awareness. Philanthropists can distribute them in selected villages. Solar lamps can help village students to study.
The government alone cannot do these alone, thanks to bureaucracy, unimaginative elected representatives, and the corruption in the system. There is a vast scope for social activists, concerned citizens and sensitive elite. But, where are they ?
April 17,2009.
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