Social Influence - Social Change Flashcards
what is meant by social change?
when whole societies alter their attitudes and behaviour - the majority of people in a society adopt new ways of thinking and behaving
give 3 examples of social change.
- the shape of the earth
- homosexuality
- having children outside of marriage
how does social change come about?
through social influence processes such as conformity and minority influence
what are 4 ways minority influence creates a social change?
-campaigning
-consistency in behaviour
-encourage deeper thinking about the issue
-show commitment by participating in risky activities
This all happens until the process of internalisation and the minority become the majority
how have people challenged the role of minority influence in social change?
challenges the idea that minority causes individuals to think deeply its actually the majority - when most people think differently to us we think more about it
what else challenges the idea of minority influence in social change?
explanations of how minority influences lead to social change are based on moscovicis lab experiments - artificial and doesn’t reflect everyday life -challenges the accuracy
what practical applications has research into minority influence in social change led to?
if minorities groups wanted social change they need to avoid behaving in ways that reinforce stereotypes - will be off-putting e.g. feminists may be labelled as ‘man-haters’
how does conformity create social change?
behaviour is often base upon incorrect perceptions of what others are doing - can be used to create social change drawing to what others ARE doing
what are 2 examples go conformity?
- environmental campaigners - info on bins like ‘bin it-everyone else does’
- posters in hotels telling guests most hotel guest re-use towels - decrees laundry demands
what evidence is there to support the role of conformity in social change?
young adults (21-34) 92% believed the majority of their peers had drunk whilst driving. when told 4 out of 5 don’t this exposure to the social norm led to a 13% reduction in drinking and driving
what research challenges the idea of the role of conformity in social change?
survey to compare perceptions of drinking norms and personal drinking behaviour before and 3 years after the campaign had ended - campaign showed misconceptions about drinking norms but the students showed no reduction in perceptions or personal drinking
