Solid Waste Management: Planning and Implementation of a Cultural Design

Abstract

The field of behavior analysis has long been known for its advances in strategies to intervene on individual behavior; however, many behavior analysts have also been developing strategies to arrange contingencies for cultural practices. The cultural practices of interest are those that represent good prospects for the survival of humankind. Solid waste management, for example, has been an important target of interventions. Interventions can be designed to change behaviors related to the inappropriate disposal of waste, which otherwise generates public health problems. The current study describes a case of planning and applying a cultural design to foster behaviors that make up an adequate cultural practice of solid waste management with children who attended a nongovernmental organization. The cultural design emphasized maintaining the practice for the long term. Two studies were conducted. The 1st study consisted of planning a cultural design, supported by a guide developed by Carrara et al. (“Desenvolvimento de guia e fluxograma como suporte para delineamentos culturais [Guide and Flow-Chart Development as Support for Cultural Designs],” Acta Comportamentalia, 21[1], 99–119, 2013). Researchers surveyed the demands related to natural resources management in the community. Then, they investigated the cultural practice of inadequate solid waste management, which was identified as the most urgent practice to be modified. Based on the data and analysis, interventions were planned to modify the target practice. The interventions included changes in the environment, instructions and instruction-related activities, an educational game, and a practical activity (composting) focused on maintaining the practice without the need for arbitrary reinforcers. The previously planned interventions were then implemented in the 2nd study. The results suggest that the strategies employed were effective in establishing the target practices, and the follow-up data indicated that the behaviors were maintained.