Positive deviance

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 or knowledge than their peers. These individuals are referred to as positive deviants.

The concept first appeared in nutrition research in the 1970s. Researchers observed that despite the poverty in a community, some poor families had well nourished children. Some suggested using information gathered from these outliers to plan nutrition programs.

Positive deviance is a strength-based approach which is applied to problems requiring behavior and social change. It is based on the following principles:

The PD approach was first operationalized and applied in programming in the field by Jerry and Monique Sternin through their work with Save the Children in Vietnam in the 1990s (Tuhus-Dubrow, Sternin, Sternin & Pascale).

At the start of the pilot 64% of children weighed in the pilot villages were malnourished. Through a PD inquiry, the villagers found poor peers in the community that through their uncommon but successful strategies, had well-nourished children. These families collected foods typically considered inappropriate for children (sweet potato greens, shrimp, and crabs), washed their children's hands before meals, and actively fed them three to four times a day instead of the typical two meals a day provided to children.

Without knowing it, PDs had incorporated foods already found in their community that provided important nutrients: protein, iron, and calcium. A nutrition program based on these insights was created. Instead of simply telling participants what to do differently, they designed the program to help them act their way into a new way of thinking. To attend a feeding session, parents were required to bring one of the newly identified foods. They brought their children and while sharing nutritious meals, learned to cook the new foods.

At the end of the two year pilot, malnutrition fell by 85%. Results were sustained, and transferred to the younger siblings of participants.

This approach to programming was different in important ways. Based on a community's own assets, the positive deviance approach operates within the specific cultural context of a given community (village, business, schools, ministry, department, hospital) and is therefore always appropriate. It provides to community members the "social proof" that an uncommon behavior can be adopted by all because it is already practiced by a few within the community. The solutions come from the community, therefore avoid the "immune response" that can occur when outside experts enter a community with best practices that are often unsuccessful in promoting sustained change. (Sternin)

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