Flip The Script: Using Research to Understand and Shift Social and Gender Norms

Social and gender norms influence how people behave, interact, and access opportunities. For Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) practitioners, understanding these norms, and how they evolve, is essential for designing effective interventions. Research provides the evidence base to identify which norms (descriptive or injunctive, deeply rooted vs functional) are deeply entrenched, which are already showing signs of change, and which actors, target audiences and/or reference groups hold the most influence. 

This interactive workshop is led by BBC Media Action, the BBC's international development charity with over 25 years' experience across 30+ countries and adapts a Flip the Script Social Norms Masterclass module developed with Gates Foundation funding, drawing on global experience from ALIGN, CARE's SNAP SNET analysis and the Adolescent and Youth Learning Agenda (AYLA) evidence review led by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), as well as BBC Media Action's own experience to explore how research can inform every stage of programming, from design to monitoring and evaluation. It serves as a companion workshop to Flip the Script: Integrating Evidence on Social Norms into Entertainment Media for SBCC. 

Participants will learn how to use research to:

•⁠⁠Map norms (descriptive/ injunctive)– define them clearly – and identify "cracks" where change is possible

•⁠⁠Understand readiness among different audiences for change and prioritize whom to engage

•⁠⁠Inform strategies for influencing norms through media and community dialogue

•⁠⁠Monitor and evaluate norm-shifting interventions effectively

The session will highlight practical tools for integrating formative research, participatory approaches, and evidence-based monitoring frameworks into norm-shifting work.