Alienation and Conformity Forces of Social Change

What is Conformity? An example of people’s overwhelming need to conform to a social paradigm Conformity: act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours to what individuals perceive as normal to their society or social group Could be the result of social pressure People often conform to achieve a sense of security in a group of people – a feeling that makes one ‘belong’

In today’s society – are there pressures to conform? In what ways? What are the repercussions to not “conforming”?

Pressures to conform An unwillingness to conform could risk social rejection An individual who is deliberately excluded from a social relationship or social interaction is a victim of social rejection Conformity acts as a scapegoat in order to avoid bullying and criticism from peers

Examples of conformity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJAww5g34bE (end after mean girls example)

The Peer Pressure experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVOlwxvxhbY

Discussion questions: (VIDEO) What are the triggers to conform in this video? What feelings did the person in the experiment feel to make them change their behaviour? Vote: what would you have done in this same situation? After looking at this clip, think about how people in society would act, what would happen if everyone acted the same? How different would life be?

What is Alienation? Alienation  estrangement or distance of people from each other, from what they find meaningful, or from their sense of self The state of being (or feeling) alone, separate, different (separate from a community or group of people in general) Also known as anomie – personal condition resulting in a lack of norms For example: a totalitarian society would produce an anomic individual such as Hitler

Max Weber Max Weber, a famous German sociologist, was concerned that social values of grace and compassion would be replaced by cold values According to sociologist, Max Weber, people provoke social change when they feel isolated from society

Karl Marx German sociologist, believed that alienation refers to the separation of things that naturally belong together Putting something in between 2 things that belong in harmony Believed that alienation was a systematic result of capitalism

What is Isolation? Known as a state of seclusion Example: lack of contact with people May stem from: Bad relationships Deliberate choice Contagious disease Repulsive personal habits Mental illness

Isolation in society Feeling marginalized in society would force people to resist the social norm Unrest in society could lead to isolation, not feeling included in society

Key Questions What groups in society may feel socially isolated? Why? What groups in society are forced to conform?

Vision test experiment

The Asch Experiment The Asch Experiment by American psychologist Solomon E. Asch Performed in the 1950’s that demonstrated the power of conformity in groups Asch asked groups of students to participate in a “vision test” All but one of the participants were being experimented The study was about how the remaining student would react to participant answers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA-gbpt7Ts8

Conformity in contemporary society Most people conform to the standard values and norms without even realizing they are doing so Some degree of conformity is necessary for societies to function Example: stopping at a red light means that you are conforming to the law and the good and safety of society

Conformity and Youth Pre-teens and teenagers face many issues related to conformity Pulled between the desire to be seen as unique individuals and desire to belong to a group where they feel accepted Examples: wearing the latest fashion, cutting your hair into a certain style, smoking, changing the type of music you listen to All of these are examples of conforming to a social norm

Scenarios A) what are the triggers to conform in this scenario? Discuss the following questions: A) what are the triggers to conform in this scenario? B) What feelings did the person in the situation feel to potentially make them change their behaviour C) What would you have done in this situation?

Scenario 1: You are waiting to cross the street and the light is red. A group of pedestrians start to cross the street before the green light even though there remains some risk of oncoming traffic. What do you do?

Scenario 2: You are looking to throw something out at a concert but the garbage is full. You see people just throwing garbage on the ground around the garbage can. What do you do?

Scenario 3: You have been standing in line for hours waiting to buy tickets for a concert. A group of 6 people try to “bud” in line with a friend. The people waiting start yelling and objecting as there are only a specific amount of tickets. What do you do?

Scenario 4: A university student approaches you and a bunch of your friends offering to sell you his/her old assignments and copy of tests from last year for this class. All of your friends agree to this and are waiting for your decision. What do you do?

Scenario 5: You have just started a new job and are sitting around with your new co-workers. Someone tells a joke that is very racist and everyone is laughing and starts telling more racist jokes that you find offensive. What do you do?

Scenario 6: A bunch of you are at a friends for dinner – after dinner all your friends get up from the table and leave their plates as you are late for a party. You have been brought up to always clear your plate from the table and help clean up. What do you do?

Discussion Which situation would be the most easy and most difficult in terms of resisting conformity? Why?

Deviant A deviant is someone who breaks a social rule Social rules can either be written ( laws and rules) or unwritten ( normal ways of behaving) Think of a law we all must obey Think of any rule we must all keep even though it is not a law. Deviant behaviour depends on: A) the situation B) the culture A person who is deviant in one country might be considered perfectly normal in another

Are the following forms of behaviour deviant or not? What do you think? Chewing gum in class Standing on desks Wearing wedding clothes to a sandy beach Body piercings Watching television while eating dinner Speeding in a car Buying cigarettes under age Long hair on males; bald heads on females Never telling fibs even to save people’s feelings Giving away money to anyone who asks for it Drinking while under age at a family function Getting a tattoo Drinking while under age with friends

What is your reaction to Breastfeeding vs. sexy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOEHRsRIodI Other social experiments done: Muslim Bullying Social Experiment (ISIS Islamophobia Social Experiment) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRtb5QL7UeI Racism, Black vs White (Social Experiment) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPjF4_yKRMw

Task You are now to fill out the alienation and conformity as forces chart