Change is valued and necessary

The "Change is valued and necessary" element – one of the three preconditions of a social movement – reflects the notion that social movements are driven by a desire to advance common values. In this section, you will learn how values play a central role in social movements. And as a change agent or part of a change team, you'll find out how to gauge whether change is valued by others.

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In social movements, people come together to achieve change to improve outcomes, such as enhancing service provision and access, providing safe reliable options, addressing inequities, and/or advocating for at-risk individuals (Arnold et al., 2018; Bate et al., 2004b; Carson-Stevens et al., 2013; Grinspun, 2018; Waring & Crompton, 2017). This change is driven by values.

Change never occurs in isolation. It is always impacted by contextual elements, such as the local setting or the timing when the change occurs. The push for change in social movements is influenced and shaped by the local social system – the individuals who are working together, their relationships and interactions – and the areas of change that the social system deems as prioritized and valued.

How much value is placed on the change by the social system can be either a facilitator or a barrier (Rogers, 2003):

• When change is valued and aligns with people’s norms, beliefs and culture, it can be a facilitator that positively speeds uptake and spread.
• When change is not valued, supported or prioritized within the social system, it can be a barrier - whether it is rejected outright or fails to make any progress or gain momentum.    

• Change that is valued and necessary can positively impact individual trajectories. This is especially true when areas of inequities are targeted and when values of fairness or justice are integrated, such as accessibility and inclusivity. 
• Change that is valued and necessary acts as a driver for action. Shared concerns or strongly desired changes represent areas that people believe need further enhancements, or where current practice needs to be stopped or accelerated.  When change is valued and necessary, it creates timeliness and urgency for action.   
• People are attracted to change that they value and view as necessary. When the change aligns with people’s intrinsic values, it is personally meaningful and drives their need to become involved and invested in the change. This acts as a precursor for being ready to take action through a social movement. 

SOURCES: del Castillo et al., 2016; Kapilashrami et al., 2016; Ruglis and Freudenberg, 2010.

 The answers to the questions in the above linked worksheet can help to determine overall support for the change, and whether there is enough energy to start moving the change forward to action (Arnold et al., 2018; del Castillo et al., 2016).

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Linking to other elements of the Social Movement Action Framework

Each of the elements of the Social Movement Action (SMA) Framework is dynamic and interrelated. For example, change that is valued and necessary is linked to receptivity to change because it indicates that there is agreement amongst some a group of individuals of the value and need for change. This is also linked to knowledge of social movement actions because it gives change teams the ability to understand how change, when valued, can act as a powerful driver for action.

This can also: 

• help change teams to position or frame an issue in ways that can resonate with others by engaging their hearts and minds
• link to individuals’ intrinsic motivation and commitment to engaging in the change

Linking to the action cycle phases of the Knowledge-to-Action Framework

You and your change team’s capacity in social movement actions may be enhanced or accelerated by adding in some of the action cycle phases of the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) Framework. There can be many points of connection between the two frameworks. Here are two examples for you to consider:   

• Adapt knowledge to local context: To ensure that the identified problem can be addressed effectively, you and your change team should consider contextual factors such as the presence of formal and informal leaders, the attitudes of those who will affect or be affected by the change, and the availability of resources. These considerations will help you to determine whether there is an opportunity for change.
• Assess barriers and facilitators: Identify and assess the barriers and facilitators that will help the change or hinder it. Identifying these important factors can help you and your change team to determine whether the change is timely.

For more discussion about the dynamic links between the elements of the SMA Framework to one another and to the KTA Framework, see the section "Two complementary frameworks".