Dublin Fostering Sustainable Behaviour Workshops

I will be delivering introductory and advanced community-based social marketing training in Dublin this September. The introductory and advanced workshops will be of interest to those working to promote waste reduction, water and energy efficiency, conservation, modal transportation changes, catchment protection, and other sustainable behaviour changes. Those who work to promote behavioural changes that promote health, such as active lifestyles, will also benefit from attending. Community-based social marketing is a unique approach to fostering both environment and health related behavioural changes and is now being utilized in thousands of programs globally. Descriptions of both workshops are provided below.

Both sessions have limited capacity -- please register early to avoid disappointment (a flyer describing the workshops and a registration form are attached). If you are not interested in attending yourself, please consider forwarding this announcement to colleagues who may be interested.

Best, Doug

Doug McKenzieMohr, Ph.D.
Environmental Psychologist


About the Workshops

The cornerstone of sustainability is behaviour change. If we are to move toward a sustainable future we must encourage individuals and businesses to engage in a multitude of actions (e.g., waste reduction, water and energy efficiency, pollution prevention, etc.). To date, most programs to encourage such activities have relied upon disseminating information. Research demonstrates, however, that simply providing information has little or no effect on what people or businesses do. But if not ads, brochures or booklets, then what? Over the last decade a new approachcommunitybased social marketinghas emerged as an effective alternative for delivering programs to foster sustainable behaviour.

Introduction (September 16): The one-day introductory workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behaviours. Those who attend the workshop will learn the five steps of community-based social marketing (selecting behaviours, identifying barriers, developing strategies, conducting pilots, and broad scale implementation) and be exposed to numerous case studies illustrating its use. The introductory workshop is a mandatory prerequisite for the advanced workshop.

Advanced (September 17): Offered for the first time in Europe, this one-day advanced workshop provides an in-depth exploration of how community-based social marketing can be used to foster sustainable behaviour. This workshop introduces new research on selecting behaviours, identifying barriers and benefits, applying behaviour change tools (including some exciting new developments regarding the use of commitments, norms, and goal setting), and piloting programs. The workshop also addresses the effective use of social media and websites in the fostering of sustainable behaviour. To ensure a high level of learning and exchange of ideas, this workshop is restricted to individuals who have previously attended Dr. McKenzie-Mohr's introductory workshop. If you have not yet attended an introductory workshop, you can attend the introductory workshop that directly precedes the advanced workshop. Reduced rates are available for attending both workshops.