How Change Happens

Society is full of would-be 'change agents'—campaigners, government officials, enlightened business people, engaged intellectuals—set on improving public services, reforming laws and regulations, guaranteeing human rights, achieving a fairer deal for those on the sharp end, and greater recognition for any number of issues. It is striking, then, that not many universities have a Department of Change Studies, to which social activists can turn for advice and inspiration. Instead, scholarly discussions of change are fragmented, with few conversations crossing disciplinary boundaries, rarely making it onto the radars of those actively seeking change. This book aims to bridge the gap between academia and practice. Drawing on first-hand examples and numerous new case studies and interviews with grassroots activists and organizations around the world, as well as Oxfam’s unrivalled global experience and the author’s forty years as an activist, teacher, and scholar, this second edition of How Change Happens explores the 'actors and factors' that drive change. Its starting point is the importance of understanding complex systems and the nature of power and applying this to the institutions that activists seek to influence—social norms, states, politics, the international system, and transnational corporations. It examines the role of civil society organizations, digital activism, leadership, and advocacy in bringing about change, and how we—governments, organizations, businesses, leaders, campaigners, and ordinary citizens—can make a difference.