Cultural and social impact of a social development project What do you need to know? We tell you here...
The introduction of social development programs in communities requires careful evaluation, considering the positive and negative impacts they may cause.
Understanding social practices and sites of significance to communities is fundamental to managing these impacts, which are not perceived at first glance, and tend to have long-term effects.
Cultural and intangible impact of social development programs
Social development programs are initiatives planned and executed with the objective of improving the living conditions and well-being of a specific community.
In this context, cultural and intangible impacts have to do with the social and cultural spheres and cannot be measured directly. They correspond to the decision-making processes, relationships and heritage of the communities.
What are the critical points to assess the cultural impact of a program?
The cultural impact of a program is the degree to which the program affects the values, beliefs, practices and cultural expressions of a community. This impact can be both positive and negative.
Given its relevance, the evaluation of critical points requires the participation of experts in different disciplines, in addition to being carried out in a participatory manner, considering each of the members of the community.
Elements to be evaluated in this regard include:
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Community values and beliefs
These are the principles that guide the behavior of people in a community. Some indicators that can be used to assess the impact of a program on community values and beliefs are:
- Community members' perception of the program's values and beliefs.
- The degree of acceptance of the program by the community.
- Changes in the behavior of people in the community.
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Cultural impact on community practices
Refers to the cultural activities and traditions of a community, which may be everyday, such as meals, feasts or celebrations, or may be more formal, such as religious rituals.
In order to evaluate this cultural impact, aspects such as, for example, the following can be analyzed:
- The frequency with which people in the community perform traditional cultural practices.
- Community members' perception of the importance of traditional cultural practices.
- Changes in the ways in which people in the community carry out traditional cultural practices.
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Cultural expressions of the community
It corresponds to the ways in which the community expresses its culture, either through artistic expressions, such as music, painting, dress, and speech, to name a few.
Its analysis should include elements such as:
- The diversity of the community's cultural expressions.
- The participation of community members in cultural expressions.
- Community members' perception of the importance of cultural expressions.
Insight Social and support for Anglo American Ecuador
InSight Social provided advice to Anglo American Ecuador on its mining exploration projects, with respect to conflict management, which stemmed from community opposition to the company's exploration project.
This problem has transcended social and cultural networks, polarizing the community between those who support the project and those who oppose it, and even generating distancing between friends and family, far beyond the scope of the project.
What actions were implemented?
Conflict management began by carrying out an interdisciplinary process to understand the conflict, its root causes and the series of consequences; to recognize and legitimize the position of all people, and then to open channels of communication.
With the strategy developed by InSight and the training of the team, the conflict de-escalated to such an extent that the project could be carried out, and coexist with the opponents and their permanent mobilization, based on respect between the parties.
Rely on our expertise to measure the cultural impact of your social development projects.
To ensure the success of a social development project, it is essential to carefully assess the social and environmental impacts it may generate. These impacts can be both positive and negative, and it is important to identify and manage them appropriately.
Insight Social has a team of experts in social and environmental impact assessment who can provide you with the advice you need to ensure that your project is beneficial to people and the environment.Contact us at!
