Exploring the role of conformity in social behavior, this content delves into how societal expectations shape individual actions. Social roles, whether ascribed like gender or acquired like job titles, come with specific behavioral expectations. Influential studies such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and the BBC Prison Study reveal the complexities of conformity. The impact of adhering to social roles can lead to predictability in society but may also suppress individuality and innovation.
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Ascribed roles are societal expectations associated with a person's gender, social class, or other characteristics
Acquired roles are societal expectations associated with a person's job title, marital status, or other acquired statuses
Social roles carry specific expectations that guide behavior, such as a 'child' being playful and reliant on others and a 'parent' being nurturing and responsible
Informational influence occurs when individuals conform because they believe the group is correct, such as dressing according to societal norms for their gender
Normative influence involves conforming to avoid social sanction or exclusion, such as teenagers acting in certain ways to be accepted by their peers
Social influence can lead to identification, where individuals adopt group behaviors to be accepted, or internalization, where the group's values become part of one's own belief system
The Stanford Prison Experiment showed the influence of assigned roles in a mock prison setting, with 'guards' becoming authoritarian and 'prisoners' submissive
The BBC Prison Study demonstrated that participants did not inevitably conform to their roles, highlighting the complexity of social role conformity
Adhering to social roles can have both positive and negative consequences, such as preventing social alienation and contributing to the orderly operation of society, but also potentially stifling individuality and innovation
Social roles and norms are often reflected in historical attire, with deviations facing scrutiny
The 'Kawaii' movement in Japan originated as a youth rebellion against traditional expectations and eventually became an influential part of mainstream culture, demonstrating the malleability of social roles over time
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Definition of social roles
Expected behaviors linked to societal statuses, similar to actors' roles in a play.
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Types of social roles
Ascribed roles are given (e.g., gender, social class); acquired roles are earned (e.g., job title, marital status).
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Examples of role expectations
'Child' expected to be playful, dependent; 'parent' expected to be nurturing, responsible.
