Understanding behaviour change in context: examining the role of midstream social marketing programmes

Luca, Nadina R.; Hibbert, Sally; McDonald, Ruth

Abstract

This research examines how midstream social marketing programmes that adopt a relational and community-based approach create opportunities for individuals to make incremental changes to health behaviour. Specifically, it applies Bourdieusian theory to explore how interactions between community healthcare workers (CHWs) and members of the public generate impetus for change and foster individual agency for improved health. Qualitative interviews were carried out with members of the public and CHWs engaged in a Smokefree homes and cars initiative. The findings suggest that although CHWs are challenged by resource constraints, their practices in working with individuals and families build trust and enable dialogue that bridges smoking-related health insight with home logics. These interactions can promote individual agency with a transformative effect through small changes to smoking-related dispositions, norms and practices. However, tensions with the habitus of other household members and other capital deficits can inhibit progress towards embedding new practices. The study concludes that interventions built upon community relationships show potential for addressing limitations of information-focused campaigns but there is a need to also respond to key social structures relating to the field of action for new health dispositions to become embedded in practice.

Citation

Luca, N. R., Hibbert, S., & McDonald, R. (2019). Understanding behaviour change in context: examining the role of midstream social marketing programmes. Sociology of Health and Illness, 41(7), 1373-1395. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12951

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 16, 2019
• Online Publication Date: May 16, 2019
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: Apr 29, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 17, 2020
• Journal: Sociology of Health & Illness
• Print ISSN: 0141-9889
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9566
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 1373-1395
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12951
• Keywords: Bourdieu; midstream social marketing; transformative agency; social context; behaviour change.
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1849232
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12951
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Luca, N. R., Hibbert, S. and McDonald, R. (2019), Understanding behaviour change in context: examining the role of midstream social marketing programmes. Sociol Health Illn., which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12951. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.