Social Change

Question 1

Social change

Answer 1

A shift in beliefs/behaviour of an entire population

Question 2

Steps of how social change can occur

Answer 2

1) Draw attention: majority must first be made aware of necessity of change
2) Consistency: demonstrates credibility
3) Deeper processing: majority reflects on message
4) Argumentation principle: risky actions and personal sacrifice draws focus
5) Snowball effect: viewpoint gathers more and more momentum
6) Social crypto-amnesia: majority can no longer remember how change came about

Question 3

Strengths of social change

Answer 3

• Importance of dissenting minorities (eg. Nemeth claims divergent thinking brings evaluation and improved decision making)
• Lessons from research (eg. Importance of dissent – Asch, role models – Milgram and gradual commitment – Zimbardo)

Question 4

Limitations of social change

Answer 4

• Barriers to social change (eg. Bashir found people didn’t want to be associated with stereotypes like tree huggers)
• Role of deeper processing (eg. Mackie suggests the majority creates deeper processing, reducing validity)