Conformity In Fahrenheit 451
MENTALITY OF CONFORMITY The societies in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell clearly show the serious effects of conformity. In both novels, the people’s ability to think independently is nearly diminished; however, they still feel happy. Conformity is known as the most common and most persuasive form of social influence. The matching of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are signs of conformity. Knowledge of the mentality of conformity proves to be important since this could improve individuality in today’s society. This paper explains why conformity occurs, what conformity is, and who conformity affects.
WHY WE CONFORM
People conform for numerous reasons. Certain personality traits, such as concern of being liked or …show more content…
This specifically targets younger people and causes them to go against their morals in order to be accepted by the group, usually leading to poor choices, such as drinking or partying. In some societies, following group norms has become more important than individual expectations. More times than not, conformity occurs when people are concerned with what the group will think of them (McLeod, “Asch Experiment).
Rejection
Those who go against group norms typically feel punishment from their peers. This is usually shown in ways such as secluding embarrassing, or teasing the outstander. Most people fear being part of the minority group because of these repercussions. According to Colin Murphy, school environments force children to feel ashamed of deviating from social norms. This may be due to the clothes they wear or the activities they enjoy. Certain ways of thinking are ingrained in many children’s minds at such a young age, they see different as wrong and begin bullying and teasing the outcast (Murphy).
Social …show more content…
Test subjects were randomly assigned to either the role of the prison guard or the prisoner and were set to remain in this position for two weeks. They were then placed in a section of the basement in the Stanford psychology department, which was transformed into a makeshift jail. Several guards, who had not previously shown any signs of violent behavior, began using forceful ways to control the prisoners. On the other hand, the prisoners began to show signs of dehumanization and became totally dependent on the guards. Relationships between the two groups changed drastically very soon. After only six days, the experiment got out of hand and was shut down out of fear that one of the prisoners may become seriously injured. Following the experiment, many of the guards were shocked by how they behaved in that situation, and many of the prisoners couldn’t believe they acted in such cowering and depending
WHY WE CONFORM
People conform for numerous reasons. Certain personality traits, such as concern of being liked or …show more content…
This specifically targets younger people and causes them to go against their morals in order to be accepted by the group, usually leading to poor choices, such as drinking or partying. In some societies, following group norms has become more important than individual expectations. More times than not, conformity occurs when people are concerned with what the group will think of them (McLeod, “Asch Experiment).
Rejection
Those who go against group norms typically feel punishment from their peers. This is usually shown in ways such as secluding embarrassing, or teasing the outstander. Most people fear being part of the minority group because of these repercussions. According to Colin Murphy, school environments force children to feel ashamed of deviating from social norms. This may be due to the clothes they wear or the activities they enjoy. Certain ways of thinking are ingrained in many children’s minds at such a young age, they see different as wrong and begin bullying and teasing the outcast (Murphy).
Social …show more content…
Test subjects were randomly assigned to either the role of the prison guard or the prisoner and were set to remain in this position for two weeks. They were then placed in a section of the basement in the Stanford psychology department, which was transformed into a makeshift jail. Several guards, who had not previously shown any signs of violent behavior, began using forceful ways to control the prisoners. On the other hand, the prisoners began to show signs of dehumanization and became totally dependent on the guards. Relationships between the two groups changed drastically very soon. After only six days, the experiment got out of hand and was shut down out of fear that one of the prisoners may become seriously injured. Following the experiment, many of the guards were shocked by how they behaved in that situation, and many of the prisoners couldn’t believe they acted in such cowering and depending