Listed below are previous and upcoming conferences, seminar and other important events relevant to the social norms field in Europe. If you would like to have an event listed please contact us here. For information on events in the USA visit the website of the National Social Norms Institute.
• Publication of the first systematic review of the social norms approach - This systematic review, conducted by researchers based at Oxford Brookes University in the UK, is the first of it's kind to examine the social norms approach. The findings of the study support the view that online and personalised social norms feedback is effective in reducing alcohol misperceptions and alcohol consumption in university and college students. For more information see the citation by Moreira (2009) in the Publications section.
• Social Norms Forum, Brussels, Belgium, March - This event brought together researchers, educators, practitioners and policy makers for a one day event on the potential of the social norms approach for Europe. It was organised by the National Social Norms Institute in collaboration with Anheuser-Busch In-Bev, NOCTIS and the Brewers of Europe. The event itself was welcomed in a motion placed in the Scottish Parliament and was attended by Robert Madelin, the EU Director General for Health and Consumers. Copies of the presentations given and a wide range of other helpful materials are freely available from the forum website.
• 1st European Symposium on Substance Use and Abuse Among University Students, University of Antwerp, Belgium, November - This conference included several presentations on the use of social norms approaches in Europe and contributions from the National Social Norms Institute. Information about this conference and future meetings is available from the conference website.
• Social norms and smoking question asked in the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, May - A follow-up question to the social norms debate held in Novemeber 2007 (see below) which focussed on the potential use of the social norms approach in reducing smoking rates in young adults, following results from UCSNS research which demonstrated that most student erroneously believe the majority of their peers to be smokers. Click here to see the press release that was produced following this question to the Parliament.
To see a clip of the question please click on the image below.
• Ministers of the Scottish Parliament debate the social norms approach, Edinburgh, November - This debate in the chamber arose following a motion lodged by Dr Bill Wilson MSP that the Parliament consider the use of social norms in Scottish health education. Those participating in the debate were overall very positive about the use of the approach and it's underlying message that the majority of young adults in Scotland do not smoke or drink heavily. Press releases covering the debate were released by both the Scottish Parliament and the Scotch Whisky Association. A transcript of the full debate can be viewed here.
An edited clip of the debate can be viewed by clicking on the image below -
• Scotland's Future Forum, Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, October - this event was sponsored by the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams and included a keynote speech by eminent social norms researcher Prof. H. Wesley Perkins of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York. This presentation was instrumental in prompting the debate on the social norms approach which was held in the Parliament later that year (see above) and was covered in the UK media (click here for an example). Further information is available from the forum website.
• Keynote address by Prof. H. Wesley Perkins, London, December - Presentation of 'Using Normative Approaches to Promote Health and Well-being' at the National Children's Bureau Conference
• Presentation by Prof. H. Wesley Perkins, London, October - Presentation of 'Targeting Misperceived Social Norms to Reduce High-Risk Drinking and Other Problem Behaviours' sponsored by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine