To learn why, we interviewed William Ryerson, the Founder and President of Population Media Center, and touched on these topics: 

• Why making people into experts on sustainability or climate change through informational campaigns has little impact on changing their behavior
• Why real and fictional charismatic leaders can bring about change in communities and make it socially acceptable to adopt new norms
• How social norms work and how their perception influences our behaviors
• How serialized dramas can be used to change social norms on a large scale
• Why certain norms take longer to change than others and what needs to happen so they change permanently

William Ryerson is the Founder and President of Population Media Center. He has more than 50 years of experience working in the field of reproductive health, including three decades of experience with social and behavior change communications. 

Links:

• PMC’s Theory of Change Model and Why It’s Successful
• Population Media Center
• Soap Operas That Teach but Don’t Preach
• Stop Raising Awareness Already