Fostering Sustainable Behavior, Third Edition: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing

by Doug McKenzie-Mohr

The highly acclaimed manual for changing everyday habits-now in an all-newthird edition! We are consuming resources and polluting our environment at a rate that is outstripping our planet's ability to support us. To create a sustainable future, we must not only change our own actions, we must educate and encourage those around us to change theirs. If one individual recycles his plastic containers, the impact is minimal. But if an entire community recycles, enormous amounts of resources are saved. How then do we go about transforming people's good intentions into action? Fostering Sustainable Behavior explains how the field of community-based social marketing has emerged as an effective tool for encouraging positive social change. This completely revised and updated third edition contains a wealth of new research, behavior change tools, and case studies. Learn how to: The strategies introduced in this ground-breaking manual are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in promoting sustainable behavior, including environmental conservation, recycling and waste reduction, water and energyefficiency and alternative transportation.

Genres: Sustainability, Nonfiction, Environment, Psychology, Business, Climate Change, Education

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 1999

Reviews

[Shauna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have taken McKenzie-Mohr's intro course on CBSM and have signed up for the advanced course, so I'm reading this book as a little refresher before that. I found this book to be an accessible instructional guide to CBSM with lots of anecdotes and studies that he covers in his courses. I think the layout will be helpful as a reference tool moving forward.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy-to-read comprehensive overview of community-based social marketing. Book from the office and read mostly during lunch breaks. I wish I read this during my thesis literature review!

[Edie Siglin]

Not rating this since it was for a class, but it was a decently interesting read if you’re into sociology or sustainability. That being said it wasn’t anything too special

[ahn mur · Rating 5 out of 5]

If elements of what McKenzie-Mohr discusses do not surprise you, it is because the ideas presented here are becoming more widely implemented. Should that dissuade you from reading it? Absolutely not. Understanding the foundation of research-proven behaviour change program design is important, and opens the door to more effective program design.
It was written very accessibly, and was pretty enjoyable for the most part. By the end, it started to feel a bit repetitive, but I suspect that a strategy to really reinforce the reader's learning. Required reading for anyone hoping to promote sustainable choices and behaviours.

[Trilety Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want people to listen? Do you want to be more collaborative? Do you want to make sure your pilot project or just your lifestyle is successful in being a model for others? This book provides a generous amount of tools - regarding asking for environmental commitments, ie pledges, and giving prompts to change yours and others behaviour - oh so good!

[Wordwizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for research. Interesting. I knew most of the theories b/c I'm coming at it from a psychological background, unlike most of his audience, I think. Great applications, though. Promoted his website a lot, and when I checked it out, there wasn't a whole lot there. I think he hopes it will turn into a hub, but I don't know how much that's happening. Oh well--good luck to him.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Idk, nothing too groundbreaking ~ I feel like this is, largely, the way I was taught to design, implement and evaluate programs from grad school. Other than a bit of emphasis on encouraging norms, I don't really see the "social" aspect of this technique...

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, practical guide to sustainable marketing with interesting case studies.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading for work

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obv, like still have it so yeah! Jacked it up from 3 to 5 stars. Peace

[Doris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as background info for my internship.

Technically didn't finish reading the last 15-20 pages.
Dry material, sort of interesting topic though.

[Sabra Briere]

I have a feeling a lot of people may have read this, but I'm not certain they took the same lessons home that I have taken.

Worth reading when considering what it takes to change behaviors.

[Marcus Tay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A practial guide to changing human behaviour

[Summer Pączek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to keep as a reference book.

[Spencer Critchley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading on what works in achieving change.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important training text for inducing in us all the behavior each of us need from each other.