Question

name
class
conformity
charlotte harrison
about this text
sometimes people change to fit in with a group. in this text, the author describes this process and explains how it affects society.
purpose for reading
to determine how an author develops a central idea about conformity to build our understanding about what makes people follow the crowd.
vocabulary
lets pronounce these words together as a class:
impel im - pel
individuality in - duh - v(j)oo - al - i - tee
partner reading
1 conformity, or acting the way most other people in ones social group act, often grows out of a persons desire for social acceptance and belonging in a group — usually a group of similar age, culture, religion, or educational background. being different from the group carries the risk of social rejection, a deep fear of many people. the drive to conform is often particularly powerful for adolescents, for whom acceptance by peers can be a primary goal, but it affects people of all ages. although the word often has a negative connotation, conformity is not necessarily a bad thing. peoples tendency to conform helps society function smoothly in many ways. for example, when drivers follow the rules of the road, it makes safe transportation. if the members of a team conform to the norms of team interaction, they enable effective communication and cooperation.
psychologist herbert kelman identified and labeled three major types of conformity. the first, compliance, occurs when a person conforms publicly but privately holds his or her own original beliefs. people comply because of a need to avoid rejection. the second, identification, is when a person conforms to one respects, such as a role models perceived success or status. the third type of conformity, internalization, is when a person actually absorbed a groups belief system and sees it as truly their own, publicly and privately. this is the most profound type of conformity and tends to stay with people for a long time.
during reading questions
paragraph 1
write: define “conformity” in your own words.
paragraph 2
turn & talk: what are some other examples of how conformity helps society function smoothly?
paragraph 3
write: why is internalization “the most profound type of conformity”?

Explanation:

1. Paragraph 1: Conformity is acting like most in one's social - group, often from a desire to belong.
2. Paragraph 2: Examples of conformity helping society include traffic rules (drivers following road rules) and social norms in interaction for effective communication.
3. Paragraph 3: Internalization is the most profound type of conformity as a person absorbs a group's belief system and sees it as their own both publicly and privately, which can last long - term.

Answer:

Paragraph 1: Acting like the majority in a social group due to a desire to belong.
Paragraph 2: Drivers following traffic rules for safe transportation and people adhering to social norms for effective communication.
Paragraph 3: Because a person absorbs a group's belief system and holds it both publicly and privately, and it can be long - lasting.