**Social Engineering Theory: A Model for the Appropriation of Innovations with a Case Study of the Health MDGs**

Beban Sammy Chumbow *University of Yaounde 1 and Cameroon Academy of Sciences Cameroon* 

#### **1. Introduction**

454 Social Sciences and Cultural Studies – Issues of Language, Public Opinion, Education and Welfare

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Basmevi

How do you get would-be mothers in tropical Africa to understand the importance of a lifesaving innovation in science and technology like the use of impregnated mosquito nets to ward off deadly mosquito bites and so, reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality? How do you get someone fettered by chains of ancestral traditional beliefs or bugged down by an excessive dose of brain washing (from whatever source) to change from consolidated negative attitudes to a positive attitude to innovative ideas and innovations desirable and beneficial to an emergent economy in the age of globalisation? How does one convince belligerent parties in a civil war or on a war path that there is a possible peaceful conciliatory solution to the conflict and they have an interest in being part of the solution and not part of the problem? How can we bring about a desired and salutary **change of mindset** so that a refractory colonial mentality can be replaced by a post-colonial mindset receptive to new and lofty ideals of participatory democracy, good governance and socioeconomico-political change? The answer is probably **social engineering** through **attitude engineering** of some sort.

'**Probably'** because the correct answer, at this point, is really **'I wish we knew exactly how!'** What is certain, however, is that the frustrations currently experienced by Governments, Development Agencies of the United Nations system, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-governmental organisations (NGOs ) who find their putatively sound ideas and technologies rejected or spurned by target populations will reduce with a better understanding of what **appropriation** really entails. The poor results and below- expectation rates of implementation and slow progress in the attainment of development goals will reduce considerably if and when a solution is found to the problem of **effective adoption and appropriation** of development oriented **innovations.**

Although the world development agenda recognises **innovation** as a fundamental necessity in the development enterprise, the fundamental question in the implementation of the use of innovative technology by target populations is seldom asked. That question, in my considered opinion is, **'how does one get the target population to consider, accept, and adopt or appropriate an innovation?** As indicated above, those who have attempted to ask

Social Engineering Theory: A Model

**2.1 Social engineering** 

without differential advantage.

meaning.

in the direction of the desired specifications.

**2. Social engineering and relevant concepts** 

subsequent discussions of the issues relevant to the proposed model.

for the Appropriation of Innovations with a Case Study of the Health MDGs 457

The definition and clarification, in this section, of concepts such as **social engineering, awareness, innovations, attitude, appropriation and mindset (change)** will inform

Social Engineering is the application of principles, techniques, methods and findings of social sciences to the solution of identified social problems, especially with respect to effecting change. Thus, social engineering concerns for example, the application of Karl Popper's 1945 methods of 'critical rationalism' in science to the problems of the 'open society'. **Social Engineering** is therefore an **Applied Social Science** in that knowledge in science is used to solve societal problems in the same way that knowledge of Mathematics, Physics etc. is used to solve problems in the domain of Engineering and knowledge of Biology and Chemistry used to solve health problems in the field of Medicine or Pharmacy. From all considerations, a **social engineer** is one who tries to influence popular attitudes, social behaviours, and resource management on a large scale. Social engineering is the application of the scientific method for social concern. In other words, social engineers use the objective and principled methods of science to dissect, analyse, synthesize and understand social systems, so as to arrive at appropriate decisions from the view point of scientists, rather than as politicians. Thus, the major difference between politicians and social engineers is that scientists base decisions on careful evaluations and objectivity

Concretely, the practice of social engineering as an **applied science** requires determining (by way of objective, scientific method or critical rationalism) certain 'engineering' specifications as ultimate values or ideal targets that must be met by individuals or collectivity/society and then proceeding to an orientation of attitudes and behaviours of individuals or groups

It is noteworthy that the term social engineering is polysemic in that it has other meanings and pejorative connotations. Social engineering in an entirely different meaning or semantic reading refers to *technological fraud,* such as internet scam, hacking tactics, etc. with an abundance of literature and scholarship on the subject. Secondly, a pejorative connotation is often introduced by some in the use of the term **'social engineering'** by considering the enterprise as a '**manipulation'** of individuals and/or groups to adopt alien attitudes and behaviours. However, Social Engineering as an applied social science, the object of the discussion in this chapter has nothing to do with these two derogatory concepts or shades of

The second reading of social engineering with the pejorative connotation of 'manipulation' may correctly describe and underscore observed practices involving the misuse of social engineering theory and practice. All engineering involves manipulation of some sort. However, manipulation to serve selfish interests, making individuals and society victims rather than beneficiaries of the social engineering process would, in the context of genuine social engineering, be a case of **malpractice.** Thus, the existence of such cases does not, to

the question seem to have considered awareness or sensitisation campaigns to be the answer with the result that UN and governments have together with NGOs spent huge amounts of resources on *awareness campaigns* with varying results. In some cases, there is no commensurate measurable impact to justify the enormous resources spent on awareness campaigns. It is therefore important to better understand what is involved in **appropriation**  since this holds promise for, *inter alia,* improving the implementation of the MDGs and other development initiatives crucially relevant to the process of social and economic transformation in the enterprise of national development. There is a need to institute a culture of the **effective use** of innovations in development endeavours in terms of appropriation or adoption of new and innovative ideas that constitute solutions to identified problems.

#### **1.1 Research problem**

In human interaction, accepting new ideas is not automatic. New ideas may meet with doubts, scepticism or apathy from the target audience and may ultimately receive a general disapproval, refusal or rejection which may be overt or covert, direct or indirect, veiled or unveiled. Faced with a novelty, reactions from interlocutors may vary from positive to negative, sometimes going through a neutral state of voluntary or involuntary indecision. The variation in attitudes and behaviours towards new ideas and new technologies from positive to negative is a fact of social reality irrespective of the validity, veracity or scientificity of the innovation. This state of affairs becomes critical and galling when evidence-based scientific and technological innovations in science and technology crucially relevant for personal and public health, food security, poverty reduction and national development are rejected by a preponderance of negative attitudes and negative responses from the targeted communities. Nowhere is this more evident than in the implementation of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in Africa and some areas of Latin America. The Global Monitoring Report (GMR) of the World Bank shows (with abundant statistics) that "*Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind on all MDGs including the goal for poverty reduction, though many countries in the region are now experiencing improved growth performance (GMR 2008:3)… On current trends, most African countries are off track to meet most of the MDGs"* (GMR 2008: 20- 21). It has been shown that beyond glaring economic factors responsible for this state of affairs in part, the implementation of innovations in the enterprise of national development is hampered by socio-cultural factors and language and communication factors which negatively influence the rate and especially the degree of appropriation of innovations (See Chumbow 2009, 2010 and Bodomo1997 among others).

A study of the implementation of the Health MDGs (reduction of infant and maternal mortality, reduction of the incidence of HIV/AIDs and 'roll back malaria') in Cameroon shows that there was an overall reduction of less than 2% in five years from 2001-2006, despite the Ministry of Health's efforts on awareness campaigns by teams of field workers armed with information guidelines to the population (Kayum 2012). This raises the fundamental question 'what does it take for innovations to be effectively appropriated by the target population?' This paper situates and elucidates this and related questions, squarely in the domain of **social engineering** as an Applied Social Science by proposing a model of appropriation informed by previous works and experience.
