Alienation and Conformity

1. Challenge and Change in SocietyHSB4M Alienation and Conformity

2. ‘The Power of Conformity’ • An example of people’s overwhelming needs to conform to a social paradigm • What is conformity?

3. Discussion Questions: Society • In today’s society – are there pressures to conform? In what ways? • What are the repercussions to not “conforming”? • How different would life be?

4. Activity: Small Group Discussion • In small group list all the different ways you are pressured to conform in society • Do you Conform? What happens if you don’t? • How much of a role does family, friends and school play in the pressure in your life to conform? • Do you notice this pressure on a daily basis? • Does society need its citizens to conform to function effectively?

5. History of Alienation – Max Weber

6. Max Weber • Famous German sociologist • He was concerned that social values of grace and compassion would be replaced by cold utilitarian values • According to sociologist Max Weber, people provoke social change when they feel isolated from society.

8. Karl Marx • Famous German sociologist • Marx believed that alienation refers to the separation of things that naturally belong together • Putting something in between two things that belong in harmony • Believed that alienation was a systematic result of capitalism

9. Alienation • Refers to an individual separation from a community or group of people in general • This is also known as an anomie • Refers to a personal condition resulting in a lack of norms • i.e. A totalitarian society would produce an anomic individual such as Hitler

10. Isolation • Known as a state of seclusion • i.e. a lack of contact with people • May stem from: • Bad relationships • Deliberate choice • Contagious disease • Repulsive personal habits • Mental illness

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

12. Conformity • Process whereby an individual’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviours are influenced by other people • 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’

13. 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.

14. Key Questions for Today • What groups in society may feel socially isolated? • Why is this? • What groups in society are forced to conform?

15. 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

16. The Asch Experiment

17. 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 • i.e. Stopping at a red light means that you are conforming to the law and the good and safety of society

18. 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 • i.e. 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

19. Scenarios • Discuss the following questions with your group: • 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?

20. 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?

21. Scenario 2 • You are looking for garbage at a concert. You find one but it is full and you see people just throwing garbage on the ground around the garbage can. What do you do?

22. Scenario 3 • You have been standing in line for hours waiting to buy tickets for a concert / sports game. 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?

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

24. 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?

25. 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?

26. Discussion • Which situation would be the most easy and most difficult in terms of resisting conformity? • Why? • Task: see website / moodle