Social Change Flashcards
Define social change
When entire societies adopt new beliefs and attitudes
What is social change a product of?
Minority influence
6 steps of social change
- Draw attention
- Deeper thought processing
- Consistency
- Augmentation Principle
- The Snowball Effect
- Social Cryptoamnesia
Drawing attention
Exposure to a minority’s view draws attention, may cause conflict which society aims to reduce
Deeper thought processing
Conflict with majority view causes majority to think deeply about it
Consistency
Makes minority more influential. Consistency over time causes them to be taken more seriously.
The Augmentation Principle
When a minority has an effective message, it creates conflict in the minds of the majority. Conflict is more likely if the minority are consistent, flexible, committed and have made sacrifices .
The snowball effect
When more people agree with the minority, the minority becomes more influential and more people convert to the minority view.
Social Cryptoamnesia
Public opinion gradually changes over time, until view is the norm. People forget where the view originally came from.
Strength: Real world evidence
E.g suffragettes, consistent over years with intellectual arguments, despite opposition. Many made sacrifices (hunger strikes).
Strength: shows principles of MI work.
Weakness: People can resist social change
Bashir (2013)
Ps able to resist, less likely to respect environment as to not be associated w cringe environmentalists.
Weakness: reduces validity of theory, minorities not always influential.
Weakness: Poor methodology within research
Moscovici, Ash, Milgram etc can all be criticised for their methodology; susceptible to demand characteristics due to being lab studies.
Weakness: Raises doubt on the validity of explanations.
