[Topic 9] Social influence

Question 1

How do you accomplish social change.

Answer 1

1. Draw attention to an issue
2. Creating a conflict
3. Consistent with each other and over time
4. The augmentation principle
5. The snowball effect

Question 2

How do you accomplish social change via Drawing attention to an issue?

Answer 2

• Minorities can bring about about social change by drawing attention to an issue
• The suffragettes used educational, political, and military tactics to draw attention to the fact that women could not vote

Question 3

How do you accomplish social change via Creating a conflict?

Answer 3

• Minorities create conflict in the minds of the majority between what they currently believe and what the minorities believe
• They created a conflict between the existing status quo (only men being allowed to vote) and their own position

Question 4

How do you accomplish social change via being Consistent with each other and over time?

Answer 4

• Social change is more likely when the minority is consistent in their position
• The suffragettes were consistent in their views regardless of other people’s attitudes. Protests and political lobbying continued for years.

Question 5

How do you accomplish social change via the Augmentation principle?

Answer 5

• If a minority appears willing to suffer for their views they are taken more seriously.
• Because the suffragettes were wiling to risk imprisonment or even death, their influence was augmented and became more powerful

Question 6

How do you accomplish social change via the Snowball effect?

Answer 6

• Initially minority influence has a small effect, but this spreads more widely until it eventually leads to a large scale social change
• Several years after the suffragette’s actions, women were finally permitted to vote. At this point, the idea had finally spread to the majority and the snowball effect occured

Question 7

Evaluation 1: Social change happens gradually if its done through minority infulence

Answer 7

• Social change happens gradually if its done through minority influence
• History challenges the claim that minority influence, such as the suffragettes brings about social change quickly
• People have strong tendency to conform to the majority and maintain the status quo, so groups are less likely to engage in social change.
• This explains why social change happens so slowly. Some minorities influence the potential for social change rather than direct social change

Question 8

Evaluation 2: Minority groups are considered deviant which limits their influence

Answer 8

• Minority groups are considered deviant which limits their influence
• The influence of minorities is often decreased by the majority believing them to be deviant
• The majority may avoid agreeing with minorities to avoid being seen as deviant themselves
• The message of the minorities would then have very little impact because of the focus of the majority’s attention would be the source of the message rather than the message it self