The Role of Social Influence Processes in Social Change

Question 1

What are the two roles in social change?

Answer 1

• Minority Influence.

- Conformity.

Question 2

What are the four stages in the role of minority influence in social change?

Answer 2

• Drawing attention to an issue.
• Consistency.
• Flexibility.
• The snowball effect.

Question 3

What is a real-life example of a minority group drawing attention to an issue?

Answer 3

The suffragettes protested to draw attention to the fact that women were denied the same voting rights as men.

Question 4

What is a real-life example of a minority group showing consistency?

Answer 4

The suffragettes all consistently made the same argument over time.

Question 5

What is a real-life example of a minority group showing flexibility?

Answer 5

The suffragettes chose to suspend their activities during WWI to support the war effort.

Question 6

What is the snowball effect?

Answer 6

This is where the influence of a minority group starts small but its effects grow over time as more people in society consider the issues being promoted, at which point it leads to a wide-scale social change.

Question 7

What are the three evaluation points for the role of minority influence in social change?

Answer 7

+ Moscovici (1969)

• Based on research with low ecological validity.
• Real-life minority groups are more complicated.

Question 8

What does the role of conformity refer to?

Answer 8

Normative Social Influence - the desire to be liked and accepted by the majority (avoid being seen as socially deviant).

Question 9

What are the two evaluation points for the role of conformity?

Answer 9

+ Nolan et al (2008).

+ Benefits the economy.