Social change Flashcards
Social change
This occurs when whole societies. rather than just individuals, adopt new attitudes, beliefs and ways of doing things
Conditions necessary for social change through minority influence
.1. Drawing attention to an issue which opposes the majority position(e.g. segregation in America) through social proof.
2. Consistency: When minorities express their arguments consistently, they are taken more seriously, with meta analysis of 97 studies showing consistent minorities were particularly influential.
3. Deeper processing of issue/minority position: People who accepted the status quo begin to think about the unjustness of it
4. Augmentation principle: If there are risks associated with putting forward the point of view, then the views are taken more seriously.
5. The snowball effect: Minority view catches momentum and becomes a majority view, goes from private acceptance to public expression.
6. Social cryptomnesia: People have the memory social change occurred, but cannot remember how it happened, with public opinion changing gradually over time and accepted as the norm.
Social Impact Theory- social force
’ Social force is generated by persuasion, threat, humour and embarrassment’
Social influence occurs when the combined effects of three factors are significant enough:
1. Strength - powerful, knowledgeable and consistent
2. Immediacy - physical, social or psychological closeness of person providing influence
3. Numbers - how many people are in the group
Terrorism and social change
Kruglanski(2003)- The aim of terrorism is to bring about social change when direct social force is not possible. It’s usually carried out by minority groups.
Kruglanski et al(2007)- suicide bombers devoted, motivated and committed
McVey and Stapleton(2000)- impact of advertising on social change
2997 smokers and 2471 ex-smokers were shown either anti smoking advertising, or in control groups where they viewed no adverts, or they were shownan antismoking campaign and antismoking advertising.
-9.8% of smokers had stopped and 4.3% of ex-smokers had relapsed.
Evaluation - research support for normative influences
Nolan et al investigated whether social influence processes led to a reduction in energy consumption in a community:
Found a significant decrease in energy usage in the first group(where signs were hung on doors)
Knowing people were saving energy(NSI) led to social change
Negative evaluations
- Minority influence doesn’t necessarily lead to social change.
- Minority influence is only indirectly effective
Evaluation: minority influence doesn’t necessarily lead to social change
- May just be seen as deviant/untypical by the majority.
- The influence may be latent(create the potential in the future).
Minority influence is only indirectly effective
Not all social norms interventions have led to social change.
Change is slow, if at all.
Nemeth(1986)- influence is indirect and delayed:
Indirect - majority are influenced on matters only related to issue at hand, and not the central issue itself.
Delays: it takes time for change to happen.
Drinking campaigns and smoking campaigns have not always been successful in bringing abut change.
Evaluation against the role of deeper processing(minority influence is only indirectly effective)
Different cognitive processes for minority and majority influence(Moscovici)
Mackie(1987) disagreed and presented evidence it’s majority influence that creates deeper processing,if we don’t share their views:
We like to believe other people share our view and think in the same way as us.
If the majority think differently, we’re forced to think about their argument and reasoning.
extra Barriers to social change evaluation
Bashir et al(2013)- resistance to social change:
Stereotypical and minority environmentalists-
Tree huggers(environmentalists) and man haters(feminists)
