Social influence processes in social change Flashcards
What is social change?
When a society adopts a new belief that becomes widely accepted as the norm
What are the 5 stages of social change?
Drawing attention to the issue, cognitive conflict, consistency of position, augmentation principle + snowball effect
What is the first stage of social change?
Drawing attention to the issue
How does drawing attention to the issue lead to social change?
Creates a conflict in the view held by the majority
What is the second stage of social change?
Cognitive conflict
What is cognitive conflict?
Conflict created between view held by minority + majority
How does cognitive conflict lead to social change?
Makes the majority think more deeply about the minority’s view
What is the third stage of social change?
Consistency of position
How does consistency of position lead to social change?
Increases influentiality of minority
What is the fourth stage of social change?
Augmentation principle
How does the augmentation principle lead to social change?
When a minority is seen as willing to suffer for their cause, they’re taken more seriously
What is the fifth stage of social change?
Snowball effect
What are the 4 AO3 points of social influence processes in social change?
1) Social change through minority influence = very gradual
2) Being perceived as deviant limits effectiveness
3) Alternative explanation
4) RWA
How does the snowball effect lead to social change?
As more people convert to the minority’s view point, the effect becomes more widespread until tipping point reached
Why does social change through minority influence happen very slowly?
Human beings tend to be overly conformist to the majority
Social change through minority influence is _____?
Latent
What is social influence through minority influence limited by?
The fear of being seen as deviant
Why do people tend to be sceptical at aligning themself with the minority?
Because of the fear of ostracism
What do the majority tend to focus on rather than the minority’s message?
The source of the message (the deviant minority)
What is the alternative explanation to social change via minority influence?
Social change via majority influence
What is social norms intervention?
An attempt to correct misperceptions of the normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the undesirable behaviour of a target population
What RWA does social norms intervention have?
It’s been used to reduce drink driving in Montana, USA
What does social change via minority influence have RWA to?
The Suffragette movement
How did the Suffragettes draw attention to their issue?
They used educational, militant and political tactics to draw attention to the fact women were denied the same voting rights as men
