In a Peruvian campaign to improve public health in rural areas, one key challenge was to convince isolated villagers to boil their drinking water in order to kill parasites. In a pilot study, this effort largely failed. Government caseworkers lectured the villagers about germ theory, but villagers associated hot foods with illness and didn't like the taste of boiled water. The only families who adopted the practice were not well integrated into the village and had few connections to their neighbors. What does this demonstrate?
A) that reference groups play an important role in building primary group ties
B) that the need for more virtual communities is declining
C) that social ties don't just connect us to others, they influence our behavior
D) that modernization attempts largely fail without modern technology
E) the McDonaldization of society

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario demonstrates how social ties and cultural norms influenced the behavior of the villagers, highlighting the importance of considering social context when promoting health behaviors. The failure of the campaign also suggests that simply providing information or technology alone may not be enough to change behavior.

In a Peruvian Campaign to Improve Public Health in Rural