How Do People change what they do? Or: How to actually impact stuff

Groups that often come up Wider society Politicians Companies States  If talking about groups such as states or companies it is often useful to break them down to indivduals, eg. Workers, CEOs, leading politicians, supporting politicians in the background eg. Their own party

In a debate about impacts make sure you have an Impact Often debaters explain why people change how they think but forget to explain why this matters. Example: THBT companies should establish gender quotas in management positions. Opp: People will think this is unfair and therfore hate feminists.  Nobody cares. Impact: If a lot of dislike feminism they‘re less likely to vote feminist parties that could draw attention to more important feminist issues.

What you should think about: Problem: Why is it bad that a certain group behaves in a certain way? Reason: Why do they act this way? Solution: What will make them act differently?

Problem Describe the harm they do. Make this important so your argument stays relevant throughout the debate.

Reason: Knowledge: Often people do bad things because they don‘t know better. Incentive: They think they‘ll gain something from acting in a certain way. Opportunity: They don‘t have the opportunity to act differently. People need to have all three in order to change their behaviour!

Knowledge People do bad things because they don‘t know that what they do is bad. Education  good outcome Examples: Racism Sexism Bad parenting  Explain that people don‘t want to be bad people.

THW abolish all private and Grammar schools. Gov: Problem: Rich people and poor people live very seperate from each other. This means that rich people often don‘t understand the struggle poor people face and therefore don‘t vote for or provide mechanisms to change existent problems. Solution: If kids go to school together their parents will get in touch more. Rich people will see that for example free school meals are important and are therefore more likely to advocate for them.

Incentives People care about different things and therefore do good or bad things. Examples: Political power Money Their own wellbeing Doing the right thing (whatever they see as being the right thing) Their family‘s/friends‘ wellbeing Social recognition  To make people change their behaviour you can change their incentive or how to achieve it.

THWB private Healthcare. Problem: Politicians don‘t care enough about healthcare therefore healthcare is bad. Added incentive: Their own and their family‘s wellbeing Solution: If politicians can only access public healthcare themselves they need to care about it more.

THW dispropotionally Tax Companies with disproportionally low wages. Problem: Workers don‘t get paid enough. Incentive that now has to be achieved in a different way: Money Solution: The company now saves money by paying workers better.

Opportunity Sometimes people would want to do a good thing but don‘t have the opportunity to do so. Examples: Money Education Health Alternatives  explain that they want to do the right thing

THBT the only aim of prison sentences should be rehabilitation Problem: Reoffense after prison Lack of opportunity: Former criminals often have a hard time finding a job after being released from prison. Solution: Provide rehabilitation

Solution Changing knowledge, incentives, opportunities can make people change their behaviour. Explain why your solution is necessary: Why current solutions don‘t work Why especially now this is necessary Why the problem is so crucial that you‘re willing to take some harms from the other side

Any Questions?