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... at colleges from Washington State to New Jersey. The conference, which was presented by the National Social Norms Resource Center, the Bacchus & Gamma Peer Education Network and the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, was an opportunity for prominent campus administrators and leading student health experts to discuss significant reductions in excessive drinking by college students as a result of social norms efforts. "The social norms approach states that communicating accurate information about the prevalence of healthy behavior can lead to more healthy behavior. It is a highly successful alternative to traditional methods for preventing substance abuse among young people, " said H.
Wesley Perkins, Ph. D. , a professor of sociology at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and editor of The Social Norms Approach to Preventing School and College Age Substance Abuse. "The biggest attractions of this approach are research and statistics which demonstrate proven changes in behavior. I believe this science-based accountability is a standard that should be called for when a deterrent program is used by schools or local communities. " In fact, according to a just published report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, the notion of "binge drinking" as the norm is false. Findings from the study, which measured Breathalyzer readings of Kent State University dorm residents, found that, among those who had been drinking, a large percentage had blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels far below the legal limit in that state. These findings have been communicated to students via a social norms campaign, which has resulted in a substantial decline in the rate of exaggerated perception about excessive drinking among the overall Kent State student body. "Nearly three-quarters of college students drink moderately, infrequently, or not at all, " said Perkins. "Research indicates that colleges that take a social norms approach to tackling the issue of drinking, by educating students about actual student behavior, achieve an average 20 percent reduction in high risk drinking in only two years. " Recent reports show that colleges who implement restrictive, prohibitive measures have seen increases in high-risk drinking.
This past month, two schools (University of Colorado, University of Iowa) participating in the "A Matter of Degree" program reported that the number of students binge drinking at their schools is well above the national average. To date, 135 U. S. colleges and universities, ranging from large, public institutions to small, private colleges are using or have used social norms -- with program funding mainly from government or educational community sources -- to address student drinking. These sources include several federal and state agencies, such as the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Education, Department of Justice, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Department of Health and Human Services, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Science Foundation. Approximately 15 schools have received funding from other sources.
The social norms approach can be applied to many issues including tobacco use, sexual assault and academic performance. Examples of successful programs with documented high-risk drinking reductions include: Hobart and William Smith Colleges -- 32 % reduction over 4 years Northern Illinois University -- 44 % reduction over 9 years Rowan University -- 25 % reduction over 3 years University of Arizona -- 27 % reduction over 3 years University of Missouri at Columbia -- 21 % reduction over 2 years Western Washington University -- 20 % reduction in first year University of Virginia -- 66 % reduction over 3 years The social norms approach recently gained further support with the release of Dr. Perkin's handbook. Designed for educators, counselors and clinicians, the handbook includes a wealth of illustrative case studies and detailed descriptions of large-scale social norms campaigns in colleges and universities, as well as data that confirms misconceptions about alcohol, tobacco and drug use. "The social norms approach is unique and successful because it produces clear data that have a substantial impact on behavior, " said Michael Haines, director of the National Social Norms Resource Center. "The importance of public health efforts demand that we use an effective, accountable and cost- efficient science-based strategy. Academic institutions have embraced social norms because it meets all these criteria and achieves large-scale positive results. " The application of social norms theory to college drinking was first suggested by Dr.
Perkins and Alan Berkowitz in 1986 following a college-based study that reported that most students on college campuses overestimated their peer's support of permissive drinking practices and that this overestimation correlated with drinking behavior. Correcting this misperceived social norm, they suggested, might reduce heavy drinking and related harm. Over the years, a number of practitioners began to investigate the implications of this work, and the results of their efforts spearheaded the approach to healthy promotion now widely known as social norms. The National Social Norms Resource Center is an independent center that supports, promotes and provides technical assistance in the application of the social norms approach to a broad range of health, safety and social justice issues, including alcohol-related risk-reduction and the prevention of tobacco abuse. It is the only national center devoted exclusively to the understanding and use of the social norms approach. Opened on July 1, 2000, the Center is directed by Michael Haines, a nationally recognized proponent and pioneering practitioner of the social norms approach.
For more information, visit web Values - general guidelines fr behavior. Values identify something that is important in a society, e. g. the value placed n human life. 2.
Values are something very important within a culture. This is something that is similar to norms but of the highest origin. 3. The article below shows how American values decline as time goes by. This is not a very good tendency and we see explanation why is it important to have better values uphold. 4. The link between the article and the concept is in the explanation of the concept by the article.
It is necessary to see how important for the society to keep certain living standards that are supported by values that the society is having. From Ottawa: American Values in Decline: What Can We Do? Author / s : Larry R. Moore Issue: Jan, 2003 American Values in Decline: What Can We Do? by William M Fox, 1 st Books Library, Bloomington, Indiana, 2001.
American Values in Decline: What Can We Do? reviews the trends contributing to America's decline in values involving the ideas, customs, and institutions that define what is moral, as well as what constitutes right and wrong behavior. It considers the conscious development of failure, the predisposition toward inappropriate behavior, and what can be done to maintain the greatness of America and its people through obeying the laws and respecting the rights and property of others. The author states that it is simplistic to assume that by doing what is right is the result of knowing what is right, rather that various factors interact in society to cause ethical behavior.
He emphasizes that it does not take money or power to be kind to a friend or stranger, to stand by a loved one, or fight against injustice. It is not the big things in life that make up America's history and freedoms as a nation, but the small events, the everyday decisions that give meaning to this nation's future and the role that values have on positive or negative behavior. Genetic inheritance on the types of values acquired by people in the socialization process has impact on how basic core values are achieved. The book presents a candid approach to the author's research in tracing core values of honesty, loyalty, morals, and hard work in America from the time of the first settlers to the present day and why these values have declined. As a free nation, America's culture, beliefs, and way of life are being attacked and undercut by people indifferent or actively hostile to the laws and core values that make America a great and proud nation of people willing to die for its protection.
The power of values has a direct influence on positive behavior through first ensuring that all schools, public and private, are consistent with the country's core values and by reducing or eliminating the erosion of standards and self-esteem in students through the enhancement of teacher preparation and parental involvement. Second, the author addresses ethics in political leadership, including government, private industry, and individual fraud. He emphasizes that conscientious people of principle should be selected to serve without fear or favor from others in the political arena and that this standard of selection would impact many areas, ranging from welfare and campaign donations to budgeting and contracts. Third, the author considers the core values in the administration of justice and what can be done, ranging from examining the ethical responsibilities of prosecutors and defense attorneys to correcting the misdirection in the rehabilitation of criminals. For example, in regards to lawsuits, he recommend nds placing caps on punitive damages to curb greed and protect people from unwanted penalties. Last, the author examines the need for nurturing values in the business sector.
He suggests developing and implementing adequate business policies and regulations, eliminating deception and exploitation within and outside business, establishing attainable and workable programs, and creating and enforcing a strong and positive code of business ethics. Given the effectiveness of the numerous remedies in each part of the book, many steps can be taken to introduce and nurture core values. Some are in the areas of the administration of justice, rehabilitation of criminals, political leadership, the chronically unemployed, and the strict ethical management of domestic and international business operations. Overall, the author asks, "Shall we have moral growth or future decline for our families, communities, and nation?" All members at all levels in the criminal justice system should read this book because it offers a very frank approach to many of the problems that American society faces today. It also could benefit the military, research institutions, law and business schools, employment security commissions, and Congress, as well as behavioral and anger management training programs. Bibliography: Will Find, Applied Sociology, New York: Viking Press, 1997 Joe Stephenson, Sociological Equilibrium, from Wired, June 2003 Newspaper articles are taken from Canadian newspapers and magazines.
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Research essay sample on Colleges And Universities Social Norms
