SI9. SI Processes In Social Change

Question 1

Social Influence Processes

Answer 1

• strategies that cause social change; which is the shift in the beliefs/behaviours of an entire population (not just isolated groups of people) and norm changes to something new
• e.g. minority influence; encouraging internal Loc; disobedience to authority

Question 2

Minority Influence (main cause)

Answer 2

• consistent, committed, flexible
• minority must also maintain internal locus of control to resist compliance
• disobey authority to drive point to limelight

Question 3

Snowball Effect

Answer 3

• idea spreads from person-to-person exponentially
• eventually adopted as majority opinion
• those who initially refuse will eventually agree by complying with the majority
• e.g. racism and homophobia: used to be the norm; now those who are racist/homophobia are pressured to hide it

Question 4

• Eval: Difficulty in resolving long-standing issues quickly

Answer 4

• minority influence cannot directly address the issue at hand, as it would be too drastic of a change
• instead, this issue must be gradually introduced, over a long period of time
• although MI does work, it cannot be relied upon to bring long-standing changes in society

Question 5

• Eval: Oversimplified

Answer 5

• social change not as simple as 3 aspects
• doesn’t account for people who refuse to change, or may resist due to fear of judgement from majority
• e.g. not recycling, fear of being called a ‘tree hugger’ or ‘weird’