Outline and evaluate the role of social influence processes in social change

AO1: What is meant by social change?

It refers to the ways in which a society (rather than an individual) develops over time to replace beliefs, attitudes and behaviour with new widely accepted social norms

AO1: What is meant by social norms interventions

It is an attempt to correct misperceptions of the normative behaviour of peers in an attempt to change the risky behaviour of a target population

For example, research shows that if people perceive something to be the norm, they tend to alter their behaviour to fit that norm. So, if people believe that not eating vegetables is the norm, they will conform to that belief.

AO1: What are the 6 stages by which social change occurs?

1. Drawing attention to the issue

2. Consistency

3. Deeper processing

4. Augmentation principle

5. The snowball effect

6. Social cryptoamnesia

AO1: Examples of real life links

Black lives matter

Suffragettes

AO1: Drawing attention

Highlighting a concern/views/beliefs to society, provided social proof of the problem

The death of George Floyd was the catalyst for this movement

The suffragettes used educational, political and militant tactics to draw attention to the fact that women were denied the same voting rights as men

AO1: Consistency

Continually/persistently displaying a message and intent

Many celebrities spoke out against the social injustice towards black people

Protests and political lobbying continued for years, plus the fact that women played a significant role in WW1, boosted their cause and eventually convinced society that some women were ready for the vote.

AO1: Deeper processing

Those who had simply accepted the status quo to begin to question their own views and beliefs.

People start to question how black people are treated/presented in society

The suffragettes created conflict between the existing status quo (only men allowed to vote) and their position (votes for women).

AO1: Augmentation principle

Minorities take risks to further the cause (suffer for cause)

People risking their lives to protest during a global pandemic.

Suffragettes were willing to risk imprisonment, even death, in fighting for their views.

AO1: Snowball effect

When people begin to adopt the beliefs of the social change group as their own - switch from minority to majority position.

More people joining the protest e.g. black out Tuesday, social medial posts, removal of statues.

Universal suffrage (all adult citizens having the vote) was finally accepted by the majority of people in the UK.

AO1: Social cryptoamnesia

Social change has occurred and people know a change has occurred but can’t remember how the change happened.

AO1: Dissenters make social change more likely

Asch's research demonstrated that when one confederate always gave the correct answer, this broke the power of the majority - this enabled and encouraged others to dissent. This demonstrates the potential for social change

AO1: Majority influence and normative social influence

Environmental and health campaigners exploit conformity by appealing to NSI. They provide information about what others are doing. Social change is encouraged by drawing attention to the majority's behaviour.

AO1: Disobedient models make social change more likely

Milgram's research demonstrated the importance of disobedient role models. In his variation. When one confederate refused to give shocks, the rate of obedience in genuine pps dropped significantly

AO1: Gradual commitment leads to ‘drift’

Zimbardo (2007) suggested how obedience can be used to create social change - once a smaller commitment has been made it becomes more difficult to resist a bigger one. People 'drift' into a new kind of behaviour

AO3: Research support for role of NSI in social change (Strength)

Nolan (2008) investigated whether majority influence led to a reduction in energy consumption in a community: the researchers hung messages on the front doors of houses in San Diego, California every week for one month. The key message was that most residents were trying to reduce their energy usage.

As a control, some residents had a different message that just asked them to save energy but made no reference to other people’s behaviour. Findings showed significant decreases in energy usage in the group that were informed ‘most residents’ were trying to reduce energy usage.

So conformity can lead to change through the operation of NSI

AO3: Nature of deep processing has been questioned (Limitation)

Moscovici suggested that minority influence causes individuals to think deeply -this is a different cognitive process from minority influence.

Mackie (1987) disagrees, arguing that minority influence creates deeper processing if you do not share views. We believe that others think in the same way - when we find that a majority believes differently, we are forced to think hard about their arguments.

So a central element of minority influence is challenged and may be incorrect - casts doubts over validity of theory.

AO3: Identification is overlooked (Limitation)

Bashir et al (2013) suggest people are less likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways because they wanted to avoid a label of being minority environmentalists.

Participants rated environmental activists negatively. Minorities who want social change should avoid behaving in a way that is is off putting to the majority (this reinforces the stereotype).

Suggests that being able to identify with a minority group is just as important as agreeing with their views in terms of changing behaviours.

AO3: Methodological issues (Limitation)

Explanations of social change rely on studies from Asch, Milgram and Moscovici.

They can be evaluated in terms of methodology - artificial nature of tasks, does this reflect real life?

This criticisms apply to the evaluation of explanations for the link between social influence and social change.

AO3: Minority influence is only indirectly effective in creating social change (Limitation)

Nemeth (1986) suggests the effect of minority influence are indirect and delayed. It took decades for attitudes against drink-driving and smoking to shift.

Indirect: the majority is influenced only on matters related to the central issues, and not the issue itself. Direct: effects are not seen for some time.

Using minority influence to explain social change is limited because it shows that effects are fragile and its role in social influence narrow.