Culture, Context and Social Change

Whether it is considering the perspective of a tribal leader in a Ghanaian village, understanding the interplay between different castes in rural India, appreciating the employer-worker relationship in a factory in Shenzhen, or innovating government provision of health services in Brazil, the culture and context within which social entrepreneurs operate is critical to the desired outcome.

If social entrepreneurship is truly about changing the world, then what are the cultural and contextual barriers that social entrepreneurs need to overcome to create sustainable change in the areas where they work? To what extent does culture accelerate or inhibit change, innovation and scale? How can social entrepreneurs best evaluate the contexts in which they operate? At the most practical level, what mindsets and tools are needed for social entrepreneurs to work successfully across different cultures and contexts?