As an expert in the field of community health and social change, I have been involved in various initiatives that aim to improve the well-being of communities through innovative approaches. One such approach is the concept of positive deviance, which has been a subject of interest and application in my work.

Positive deviance (PD) is a strategy that has been used to facilitate behavioral and social change within communities. The core idea behind PD is that within any given community, there are individuals or groups who, despite facing the same challenges and constraints as their peers, manage to achieve better outcomes. These individuals are considered "deviants" in a positive sense because they deviate from the norm, not in a way that is harmful or problematic, but in a way that leads to success and improved well-being.

The PD approach involves identifying these individuals or groups—known as positive deviants—and studying their behaviors, practices, and strategies. By understanding what sets them apart, communities can then adopt and replicate these successful practices on a larger scale. This is a bottom-up approach that leverages the existing wisdom and solutions that are already present within the community, rather than imposing external solutions.

One of the key benefits of PD is that it is a strengths-based approach. It focuses on what is working well within the community rather than focusing on what is wrong. This can help to build community pride and ownership over the solutions that are developed. It also encourages a sense of empowerment, as community members are actively involved in identifying and implementing the solutions.

The PD process typically involves several steps:


1. Identification: The first step is to identify the positive deviants within the community. This can be done through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, or community meetings.


2. Discovery: Once the positive deviants are identified, the next step is to discover what makes them different. This involves studying their behaviors, practices, and strategies in detail.


3. Social Validation: The practices of the positive deviants need to be validated by the community. This ensures that the solutions are culturally appropriate and acceptable to the community.


4. Capacity Building: The community members are then trained in the successful practices identified. This helps to build the capacity of the community to implement the solutions.


5. Implementation: With the capacity built, the community can then start implementing the successful practices on a larger scale.


6. Sustainability: Finally, efforts are made to ensure that the changes are sustainable over the long term. This involves building in mechanisms for ongoing support and monitoring.

The PD approach has been used in a variety of contexts, including health, nutrition, education, and economic development. For example, in the area of child nutrition, PD has been used to identify and promote successful feeding practices among mothers in a community.

It's important to note that the PD approach is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It needs to be adapted to the specific context and needs of each community. It also requires a significant amount of community engagement and participation, which can be a challenge in some settings.

In conclusion, positive deviance is a powerful tool for community-based behavioral and social change. By identifying and leveraging the existing strengths and solutions within a community, it offers a sustainable and empowering way to improve health and well-being.

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Positive deviance (PD) is an approach to behavioral and social change based on the observation that in any community there are people whose uncommon but successful behaviors or strategies enable them to find better solutions to a problem than their peers, despite facing similar challenges and having no extra resources ...read more >>