Social Influence, Essay Example

The most distinguishing feature of conformity or of a conformist attitude is the abolishment of free-thinking and individualism. Whether in regard to an individual or in regard to a group, the influence of conformity is to break down free-thinking and uniqueness in favor of coercing all thought and actions to reflect a widespread belief or goal. In order for conformity to be successful, there must be corresponding degrees of compliance and obedience. For example, during the “Jim Crow” era of American history, African Americans and other racial minorities were persecuted, tortured, and murdered by white racists. In order for these actions to have taken place a degree of conformity was necessary on behalf of the white racists. It was necessary that the people who pledged their allegiance to white supremacy and racial prejudice conform to the narrow standards put forward by the Ku Klux Klan and other racially prejudiced groups. It was also necessary for the members of the racists groups to comply with the demands of the group to beat, burn, and kill. People who acted in a racist fashion were showing obedience to a racist philosophy and conformity to other racists.

A contemporary example of how people are able to resist conformity is the “Occupy” movement which existed in order to shed light on and also protest the extreme economic injustice that is perpetuated by Wall Street, the U.S. government, and the banking industry. The reason that so many millions of individuals came together on this topic was not conformity, but an emotional and intellectual accord. Similarly, the Occupy movement was made up of disparate sectors of the population. there was no evidence of coercion, control, or even of an organizational hierarchy in the movement. One of the most obvious aspects of conformity, compliance, and obedience is that there are almost always leaders in place that call for conformist attitudes and behaviors.