Structure:
Introduction: Define the concept of directed social change.
Body: Explain the concept using examples from recent events. Also mention how the Government is using the concept to bring about positive changes in the society.
Conclusion: Conclude that this is a double edged sword.
Content:
Social change may result from goal directed large scale social planning. The possibilities of planning by government bureaucracies and other large organizations have increased in the modern societies. Most social planning is short term. However, the goals of planning are often not reached and even if planning is successful in terms of stated goals, it often has unforeseen consequences. The wider the scope and longer the time span of planning, the more difficult it is to attain the goals.
Examples: Swach Bharath
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has become a leading example for participatory development. It has shown that transformative change can be achieved if each and every individual contributes to and becomes a part of the revolution. From recruiting lakhs of swachhagrahis to spread the message of sanitation, to helping thousands of rani mistris break gender stereotypes and construct toilets, to having the Swachh Bharat logo on every new currency note in the country – SBM went far beyond the mandate of just one Ministry.
SBM endeavored to practice what Richard Thaler, the 2017 Nobel Prize winning economist, preached on behavioural economics and, in particular, on the art of ‘nudging’ – how small interventions help individuals or communities change deep-seated behaviours. Over the last five years SBM has been nudging rural communities in India to change their habit of open defecation by using household toilets. These gentle nudges have come through with massive returns.
