A new paper published in the Annual Review of Political Science explores how we can improve anti-corruption efforts using a “new arrow in the quiver”: the social norms approach. Claudia Baez Camargo, Head of Prevention, Research and Innovation and a co-author of the paper, explains why the social norms approach is crucial for anti-corruption efforts, and shares some of the paper’s main messages for practitioners and researchers.
One key question driving innovations in corruption studies is: how can anti-corruption reforms be more impactful and sustainable? It is critical to learn the answer to this question, due to the detrimental impact of corrupt practices on equality, human rights, peace and the rule of law.
Can social norm and behaviour change approaches help to reduce corruption related to illegal wildlife trade (IWT)?
Very possibly. SNBC initiatives have been shown to help combat diverse corruption problems, although for those related to IWT and other areas of conservation and natural resource management, the evidence for doing so is sparse.