week 9: conformity

Conformity

Conformity

Circumstances where we may act or think differently in our given situation than we would if we were alone.

Informational influence

The reason why we conform; occurs when there is a gap in your knowledge about something.

Normative influence

The reason why we conform; giving in to the pressure of the group.

Obedience

A type of conformity; a direct order.

Autokinetic phenomenon

The phenomenon observed in Sherif's experiment where participants' estimates of how far a light moved were conformed when they were in a group compared to when they were alone.

Deviant behavior

The violation of local or societal norms.

Anomie theory

Developed by Merton, it suggests that individuals feel a sense of normlessness when social standards or norms are unclear or not present.

Control theory

The theory that suggests that the stronger your ties are to you and those around you, the less likely you are to be deviant.

Differential association theory

Sutherland's theory that deviant behavior is learned from primary groups and refers to classical conditioning.

Differential identification theory

Glaser's theory that we can learn deviant behavior from non-significant others like the media.

Labeling theory

Becker's theory that deviance is in the eye of the beholder and is subjective.

Primary deviance

The initial act of deviance.

Secondary deviance

Deviance that occurs after the individual has been labeled as deviant.

Techniques of neutralization

Ways to mitigate the internalization of deviance, including denial of responsibility, denial of injury, denial of victim, condemning the condemners, and appeal to a higher loyalty.

Formal social control

A label placed by an institution or social service when a law or institutional role is broken.

Informal social control

When informal rules are broken.

conformity

mode of adaptation; people accept both the goals and the means society promotes

innovation

mode of adaptation; people accept societal goals but develop new, often illegitimate, means to achieve them

ritualism

mode of adaptation; ppl abandon the goals they once believed to be within their reach and become dedicated to their current lifestyle

retreatism

mode of adaptation; people reject both the societal goals and the means to achieve them, often retreating into substance abuse or even suicide.

rebellion

mode of adaptation; people reject societal goals and means, proposing new goals and means to replace them