● A01 Social Change
Social Change: refers to how, over time, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours
of a society are replaced with new norms and expectations
Minorities can change their beliefs, behaviours and the attitudes, usually
through consistency, commitment and flexibility
Creates a cognitive conflict between majority beliefs and the position
advocated by the minority
Committed minorities, such as those who risk themselves for their cause
has an effect on the majority through an augmentation principle, this
means the majority value the importance of the cause – as the minority
are risking their lives for it.
As people slowly convert to the minority, it has the snowball effect, where
it gets bigger and bigger and becomes the majority
Social change is a slow process, it allows the change to be gradual and
not disrupt social order
Many of those who use to hold the older unpopular beliefs have Social
Cryptomnesia, where they deny holding the old now popular beliefs or that
they resisted change
Minorities often used informed social influence to change the majorities
beliefs, which can lead to internalisation
A03 strengths and weaknesses
The role played by minority influence may be limited since minorities -
the suffragettes rarely bring about social change quicklyBecause there's a
strong tendency for human beings to conform to majority position,
people were likely to maintain the status quo than engage in social
change. This suggests therefore, that the influence of a minority is
frequently more latent than direct.
Being portrayed and perceived as deviant limits the influence of
minorities: the potential for minorities to influence social change is often
limited because they're seen as deviant in the majority's eyes. Members of
the majority may avoid aligning themselves with the minority position
because they don't want to be seen as deviant themselves. The message
of the majority would have very little impact because the focus of the
majority's attention would be the source rather than the message itself.
Minorities face double challenge avoiding being portrayed as deviants
and directly embracing their position
Social Change: refers to how, over time, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours
of a society are replaced with new norms and expectations
Minorities can change their beliefs, behaviours and the attitudes, usually
through consistency, commitment and flexibility
Creates a cognitive conflict between majority beliefs and the position
advocated by the minority
Committed minorities, such as those who risk themselves for their cause
has an effect on the majority through an augmentation principle, this
means the majority value the importance of the cause – as the minority
are risking their lives for it.
As people slowly convert to the minority, it has the snowball effect, where
it gets bigger and bigger and becomes the majority
Social change is a slow process, it allows the change to be gradual and
not disrupt social order
Many of those who use to hold the older unpopular beliefs have Social
Cryptomnesia, where they deny holding the old now popular beliefs or that
they resisted change
Minorities often used informed social influence to change the majorities
beliefs, which can lead to internalisation
A03 strengths and weaknesses
The role played by minority influence may be limited since minorities -
the suffragettes rarely bring about social change quicklyBecause there's a
strong tendency for human beings to conform to majority position,
people were likely to maintain the status quo than engage in social
change. This suggests therefore, that the influence of a minority is
frequently more latent than direct.
Being portrayed and perceived as deviant limits the influence of
minorities: the potential for minorities to influence social change is often
limited because they're seen as deviant in the majority's eyes. Members of
the majority may avoid aligning themselves with the minority position
because they don't want to be seen as deviant themselves. The message
of the majority would have very little impact because the focus of the
majority's attention would be the source rather than the message itself.
Minorities face double challenge avoiding being portrayed as deviants
and directly embracing their position
