Consequences of Individuality and Conformity
Do you go your own way or follow the pack? Individuality and conformity each have their own place in society, but not in the same ways. Both are needed in society, however there are consequences if either of them are taken to the extreme.
Conforming to the pressures of society can lead to serious consequences. Conformity is defined as “a change in behavior that results from real or perceived group pressure” (Cash 1). Conformity often involves going against one’s better judgement. Often times, people disregard their own intentions to ‘fit in’ or be liked. This idea is represented by Marge Piercy, who, in her poem “Barbie Doll”, writes, “She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise,
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Sociologist Robert Bellah says that “[t]he social problems confronting us today...are largely the result of failures of our institutions, and our response, largely the result of our failure to realize the degree to which our lives are shaped by institutional forces and the degree to which we, as a democratic society, can shape these forces for the better” (Andre and Velasquez 1). A democratic society requires people to come together for a greater cause. Conformity is needed to improve a society. Bellah explains that “[what prevents Americans from “taking charge” is...our long and abiding allegiance to “individualism”-- the belief that “the “good society” is one in which individuals are left free to pursue their private satisfaction independently of others, a pattern of thinking that emphasizes individual achievement and self-fulfillment” (Andre and Velasquez 1). It is necessary to come together as a whole to shape institutional forces for the better. Individualism can be a barrier to reforming a society. Bellah writes, “A ruthless individualism, expressed primarily through a market mentality, has invaded every sphere of our lives, undermining those institutions, such as the family or the university, that have traditionally functions as foci of collective purposes, history, and culture. This lack of common purpose and concern for the common good bodes ill for a people claiming to be a democracy” (Andre and
The constant debate over the school systems in America, have yielded a discussion over whether these school systems promote individuality through ones’ schoolwork or if the whole system is set up to conform every student. Some important issues to discuss when looking at schools causing individuality or conformity are school dress codes, rigid school schedules and classes, and little creativity promoted in schools.
In society, it's difficult to go against the norm. Individuals are compelled to act a specific way, or look a specific way in order to be accepted. For instance, teenagers may encounter pressure from their peers to partake in specific exercises that may not be moral, since they feel the need to fit in. This weight of conformity isn't just present in reality; it can be found in literature as well. The story "St. Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised by Wolves" by Karen Russell depicts that in order to conform to society, individuals abandon their selflessness and compassion and become selfish and apathetic.
The question of individualism vs. conformity comes to mind when dealing with the human psyche. Some people value being independent and self-sufficient, while some like to keep themselves in the confines of conformity. The American society tends to lean towards the conformist point of view and it is mostly due to the effects of media. Americans crave the idea of association and strive to become the individuals that the media deems worthy. Conformity is a quality that is present in the hierarchy of American society. It brings a psychological feeling of correlating with a group and creates the notion of liberation from solitude.
Pursuing a personal desire and choosing to conform to societal expectations is a challenging decision to make. A person must decide if their personal desire is worth risking the shame and judgment of others or is conforming the route to take because it is easier. When pursuing a personal desire one must ask itself if it is worth the hardship to accomplish one's desire or if it is best left alone and repressed, in hopes of finding comfort in conformity. John Laroche from The Orchid Thief expresses his personal desire without a care for conformity or societal expectations. Nevertheless, Laroche never stopped being strange as he grew up with fascinations of many objects such as orchids, turtles, old mirrors and fish tanks.
“Social conformity has been practiced in societies around the world since ancient times,” and the reason it is so effective is that humans have an inherent need to be accepted as part of a group (Sadat). Furthermore, Hossna Sadat reports that:
If Only related to Identity, Conformity, and Society by showing the way things are by perspective on individuals in a society. The book starts off with Eric, a fourteen year old boy, who has recently made a big move from California to Utah with his parents and younger brother Joel, who is ten. The book starts in October of 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Eric struggles trying to figure out who he is but also has to figure out what is the right thing to do when it comes to protecting someone he loves. Eric still being fairly young has been forced to find himself while hiding Grace, a runaway girl who he just happened to find one night, while at work.
Conformity and Obedience in Society The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. But how does this need affect an individual? Social psychologists have conducted numerous experiments and concluded that, through various forms of social influence, groups can change their members’ thoughts, feelings, and behavior. In her essay “Group Minds,” Doris Lessing discusses our paradoxical ability to call ourselves individuals and our inability to realize that groups define and influence us.
Conformity is defined as the occurrence of people yielding to social pressures as a result of pressure from a group of their peers; when faced by the pressure to conform, people will alter their behaviour and actions to fit the norm demonstrated by their peers (Lilienfield et al., 2012). Conformity is studied so that is can be understood and used in society to facilitate positive outcomes, and help avoid situations where peoples’ predisposition to conform leads to negative consequences (Lilienfield et al., 2012). By understanding conformity and other social processes society as a whole is able to understand themselves better and motivates them to work on improving as a whole (Lilienfield et al., 2012).
In society, it is natural for humans to associate with groups that share the same beliefs and or political views. We as humans find comfort in conforming to the social norm of a group or society. But, following this trend of conformity consequently causes people to blindly follow others, even if those supporting the cause do not entirely understand the true nature of the group they have associated with.
No one in the world is exactly alike; everyone has different interest, dress differently, think differently and learn differently, not even identical twins are the same. Yet, in our schools systems today the sense of individuality is being destroyed in the students, even with the two goals aimed to better individuals as well as the society they live in. Public schools are trying to conform everyone into learning the same way and thinking the same way resulting in multiple adolescents to fall behind.
Conformity, compliance and obedience are behavioural consequences of social influence (real or imagined social pressure) that occur in the presence of a group or other individuals (Elsenbroich & Xenitidou, 2012). Often these concepts are misinterpreted as being the same or even synonymous and while they do have similarities they are also very dissimilar. In social psychology conformity, compliance and obedience are distinct concepts that coincide due to their effect on behaviour in the presence of others. Pascual, Line Felonneau, Guéguen & Lafaille (2013) define conformity as an altering of behaviour and beliefs in an individual in order to reflect the behaviour and beliefs of the group that holds influence, though Myers (2014) emphasises that
Individuality and conformity both play a major role in society. No matter what it may be individuals will need to choose appropriately between conforming and acting individualistically about their situation. Individuality allows individuals to freely express themselves while conformity offers safety under the protection of other conformers. Both of these aspects are beneficial to many individuals and is a key to maintaining societal order; however, it is disastrous to have too much of either side of the spectrum. Therefore, there should be a balance between individuality and conformity because having too much of either side morally and physically harms components of society, such that it pressures and forces individuals to do tasks against their will, and causes individuals to think selfishly and worry solely about themselves.
Conformity is defined as the compliance with social standards and laws in a particular culture, environment, society and time. If this occurs the individual changes their attitudes, beliefs or actions to align more holistically with those in the surrounding groups and environment, as a result of real or perceived group pressure. This is ultimately a direct result of the power which a group has over the individual. There are two types of conformity, normative conformity, and informational conformity. Normative conformity is motivated by the desire to be liked and accepted in society. This is most widely known as peer pressure. For example, a student begins smoking because their peers are smoking,
On a daily basis, people are being influenced by the people around them, whether it is directly or indirectly. A person’s thoughts, feelings and actions can influence and be influenced by society. These social interactions provide enough opportunity for the presence of people to influence and change behavior, views, and attitudes of an individual. There are several forms of social influences, such as conformity, which I will be discussing. Why we conform has been a topic of considerable interest to social psychologists in particular such as he classic and well-known studies of Muzafer Sherif and Solomon Asch. In addition to researching why we conform, there’s also the question of whether conformity is good or bad.
There are many social influences which have an effect or lasting effect on the behavior of an individual. Within many group scenarios, conformity and obedience play a large role in how people tend to think and behave, especially if they get carried away. Obedience refers to compliance to an authority figure or with others in a group. On the other hand, conformity refers to an individual changing their thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to accommodate with the standards of a group or their peers. Both of which are pure examples of how human behavior changes based on certain social situations. Obedience and conformity both occur during situations of social facilitation, social loafing, and groupthink.