Why Do People Conform To Social Norms

The article “Social Influence on Risk Perception during Adolescence” by Lisa j. Knoll, Lucia Magis-Weinberg, Maarten Speekenbrink, and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, explores the relationship between social influence and risk taking. The authors acknowledge that adolescence is a time in life where risk taking is more likely to occur with peers than alone. However it is not just adolescence that are victims of peer pressure. People of all ages are constantly making decisions about whether they should take such risks. But what makes people take the risk? The article say that “adolescences are unaware of potential risks and feel invulnerable”. However that does not explain why they are more likely to engage

Conformity and obedience are both social behaviors that are influenced by those around us and determines our behavior in social situations. When we change our attitude or behavior based on those around us, we are conforming to their behavior. When we obey what we are told, by what we perceive to be an authority figure, we are being obedient. Conformity and obedience can have positive or negative results on our lives, depending on the situation and the individuals involved.

Many individuals is faced with the decision of conforming or choosing personal desire, and it is not an easy decision. It is hard because being shunned by others for being different is not a good feeling. Choosing to conform over personal desire, often leads to loss. On the other hand, personal desire is what sets others apart and gives them joy. In the poem, “The Jackhammer Syndrome”, Al Purdy discusses the good and bad memories he has experienced. He goes through his memories of when he had fun and made mistakes, but he reflects on what he could have done better. The author of “The Jackhammer Syndrome informs against choosing the welcoming joy of conformity over the long-term gains of personal desire. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire may seem easy at first, but if the choice is to conform, the joy it gives will not last. Making the decision to pursue conformity over personal desire Conformity may seem to give joy at first, but it does not last. When Al is playing pool with his brother, he wants to win badly, but losses. However when he did not care to win, Al wins! Conforming can lead to loss but personal desire has much to gain. If the choice is to conform, personal identity may be lost. In my life, I recognize several instances in which I found several similarities between Al and myself. I have made decisions that were not always good ones such as swimming across long distances with friends.

In today’s social norms or Conformity to fit in with a certain group of individuals you see a lot of “I need to change this or have that” to be accepted. Eating disorder, it’s one of those on the top of the list. You could be in other words Fat or over weight, might be a health condition like a Thyroid. In the other cases, you have someone eating too much. That individual will start eating less or will throw up after each meal to fit in with the society. You could say it for Anorexic individuals also, just the steps would be flipped.

People do many different things in attempt to fit in, even while wanting to make a difference. However, that person could be too afraid to do so, and instead go along with the crowd. This is conformity, trying to blend in with society just because they’re too afraid to speak out. A person can live a fulfilled life by not conforming to society’s standards and opinions, and by living their life bravely.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Becoming yourself while not conforming is the greatest accomplishment. Whether or not we think we do it or not, we all have done it at some point in our lives. In 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered outside of her apartment. Many people heard this innocent woman being brutally murdered and just assumed someone would help. So why do people just assume someone will help? Why are we so scared to stand up for what we believe? Why are we so terrified to stick out? Stop conforming and be an individual.

Hello Kiersten…I like how you went into the types and classes of deviance and defined each of them. I definitely agreed with you that human trafficking would be considered a deviant group because these groups of people are engaging in behaviors that violate the social norm. This is a crime to humanity not just to these victims. I puzzled me to know that 14,500- 17,500 people are being trafficked into the United States yearly. This is preposterous to know that as a world power, we are allowing such behavior to go on. You also mentioned the emotional, physical, mental and psychological effect on these victims. Last year, I read a story about a Chinese lady named Lili Huang, 35, who brought a 58-year-old woman from China to work for her as a nanny

If you asked for advice from people, most would say, "just put your head down and blend into the crowd." But where would we be today if great thinkers like Thomas Edison just "blended in"? To be frank, America would be quite unlightened. Society brainwashes anyone into thinking or saying what society wants people to say or think. No matter what though, sticking up for what you believe in should always be important to everyone. Standing out of the crowd to make a point for what you believe in is always the right thing to do even if it seems wrong.

Since the modern era, a major limitation of society remains: the obsession of one’s appearances, and the subsequent alienation of those perceived to not fit the ideal. The general media unceasingly promotes the thin ideal, spawns a multi-billion dollar diet industry, and permeates major aspects of society, such as the medical community. The hatred for one’s appearance is entirely a social construct perpetuated by the media. More importantly, the ideal has alienated those perceived to be outside of it, which is the majority of the U.S. population. The conformity stifles individualism on various levels. America was made great because of its diversity, which is now threatened by pressures to conform. It encompasses all aspects of life, even

Remember, these people will always like you, to some degree, no matter what. Even if you break social norms or are awkward about it, they'll forgive you, still give you their information, and hang out with you. So take advantage of this and ask!

On one hand, society argues that they are all distinct individuals and they are leaders who do not follow the crowd. On the other hand, a small percentage of society contends that many people like to think they are diverse, but in reality many are scared to stand away from the crowd and take action by themselves. In the article ¨The Sociology of Leopard Man, Logan Feys expresses that ¨ Society looks down upon freakish and extraordinary individuals alike and views them with suspicion. Ordinary people fear what they don’t understand¨(par.4). I agree with the author because some people do not understand that they conform all the time and they fear that they are not an individual. Feys also explains that ¨ Conformity can be seen as the world’s most common but dangerous psychological disorder. To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and dreams that are distinct from those of others.¨ I would also agree with that statement by Feys because I believe that people want to feel special and unique, but in reality people conform almost all the time. To realize that conformity can be dangerous and to realize that you conform is important to withstanding

An example of how social norm effects people’s behavior online, can be showed through the topic of eating behavior. Social networks have created a place where information can be post about what other people think/ does and what they expect them to do. So, if someone say’s eating burgers make you fat, from Chapter 3 of Nudge two possible things can influence a person information and peer pressure. Information affects behavior in this situation because other people opinions convey what they think is best for you. Peer pressure affects Information affects behavior in this situation as people conform to others ways to avoid one’s

A norm is something that is usual, typical, or standard. Norms can come in all shapes and sizes and each holds their own unique purpose to a culture. In the society we live in today, these norms have developed more sophisticatedly into what are known as social norms. These are the rules of behavior that are considered acceptable in a group or society. These norms are taken so seriously that people who do not follow them can be shunned or suffer in some way, typically emotionally. For example, a common social norm is shaking hands when you meet somebody. If you were to not extend your arm out to meet theirs in a handshake, you would be looked at as disrespectful. The expected reaction would be one of anger, but at the same time there would be an awkward pause because it would feel wrong to defy the norm and neither one of you would know how to react.

In a matter of time, women will eventually attain the same status as men in terms of social deviance and criminality. It can be broken down into positive and negative context based on society and people's perception. For example, as the world becomes progressive women will try to retain more power or will seek more power. But it will make them to violate social norms which will label women as criminal. History shows us that time to time our powerful women figure did violet laws in their timeperiod to prove a point. For example one hand Margaret Sanger was seen as a criminal during her time since she initatited the idea of birth control. Other hand there was Razor gang leader Matilda Devine from Austrilia who had over 79 convictions. She begin

I agree with you that peer pressure is one of the reason why people conform. Peer pressure could make people do things that are not correct. Many people fall into peer pressure to fit in, to please the person who is pressuring them and to get the person to leave them alone. I have known people who have tried to pressure me but I do not fall into it, because the things that people pressure you for could get you in trouble. I also believe that confidence plays a part when it comes to people going along with everybody else. I believe confidence plays a part because if you have confidence in yourself, you would be able to say your answer without worrying about being wrong or correct.