Practice change
Having separate pages for behaviour change and practice change acknowledges the different yet complementary ways these concepts are applied. Behaviour change resources often emphasise psychological and cognitive factors, offering strategies for influencing individual choices and actions. Practice change, on the other hand, places an emphasis on the importance of broader organisational and systemic shifts, highlighting how professional practices evolve through collaboration, reflection, and iteration.
By providing dedicated resources for both, we aim to meet the needs of diverse audiences, from those working to support personal behavioural shifts to those fostering systemic improvements in professional or community settings. Both approaches are critical to achieving meaningful and lasting change, and this page offers practical insights into fostering collective practices that support innovation and sustainability.
Design thinking for practice-based intervention: Co-producing the change points toolkit to unlock (un)sustainable practices
Claire Hoolohan and Alison Browne (2020) explore how design thinking and social practice theories can intersect to support sustainability interventions. This paper critically examines key developments in these fields and presents a toolkit for creating sensitive and effective sustainability policies.
Behavioural economics vs social practice theory: Perspectives from inside the United Kingdom government
Sam Hampton and Rob Adams (2018) provide insights from UK Government Social Researchers on the intellectual tension between behavioural economics and practice theory in energy and climate research. This paper highlights the appetite for policy-relevant research grounded in practice theory.
Behaviour change and theories of practice: Contributions, limitations and developments
Daniel Welch (2017) argues for the value of a social practice perspective in explaining social and behavioural change. The paper offers novel insights for sustainable consumption, health promotion, and organisational change, focusing on the interplay of practices within broader systems.
How social practices generate, carry and require knowledge and know-how
Stanley Blue and Elizabeth Shove (2016) delve into how social practices are constituted through elements such as embodied skills, background knowledge, and motivational understanding. This short comment piece highlights the integration of these elements in shaping collective behaviours.
Theories of practice and public health: understanding (un)healthy practices
Stanley Blue, Elizabeth Shove, and colleagues (2014) propose that social practice theories offer an alternative to psychological and structural approaches in public health. The paper suggests rethinking public health policies by focusing on how social practices shape health inequalities and everyday behaviours.
Practice-ing behaviour change: Applying social practice theory to pro-environmental behaviour change
Tom Hargreaves (2011) applies social practice theory to pro-environmental behaviour change, shifting focus from individual attitudes to the collective organisation of practices. This paper highlights the challenges of changing ingrained practices and the opportunities for creating footholds for sustainable change.
