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Individuality in the face of conformity
Conformity vs. individuality
The issue of conformity and individuality
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They all show how authority and government can take control of how we think and affect our actions. An article from Libretexts claims, “The tendency to conform occurs in small groups and society as a whole, and may result from subtle unconscious influences or direct and overt social pressure … people tend to follow social norms” (“Conformity and Obedience”). This shows how conformity and obedience are heavy in groups of people. Individuals struggle to listen to themselves and have their own opinions and morals when others have different views. People become brainwashed and mindless when authority takes control.
Firstly, in the film Pleasantville and the novel 1984, the idea of conformity is explored, along with the outcomes. In the town Pleasantville , every one is the example of a perfect 50's family. This is shown in the opening scenes of the town, the families eat healthy, the children arre well behaved, and everyone practices safe sex. When David and his sister are sent into the tv, the find this strange and attempt to go with it but end up changing their way of life. Once the people of Pleasantville , who were black and white, change to color, the town erupts into violence and segregation.
Greg Graffin’s Anarchy in the Tenth Grade represents the in-group theory presented by Gordon Allport. The in-group theory proposes that people belong to cliques, some by choice and others by chance, and society affects or has influences on these in-groups through equal out-groups. Mr. Graffin explains how it feels to be a new kid in a new school and how he became a punker. Mr. Graffin explains his endeavours through the in-group “punk” and also expounds on how different out-groups react to his in-group.
Out of the Normal Society has a set of actions as what they see as “normal” and socially acceptable. They define this set of unspoken rules as social norms. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a reader will often find many characters breaking the social norms of Maycomb County, Alabama. The defiance of these social norms help the young protagonist, Scout, learn valuable life lessons of equality.
Saving the Modern World: One Satire at a Time There are so many problems that the world faces today, some more urgent than others. Some individuals choose to focus on the newest fashion style or celebrity breakup rather than focus on one that could bring about the doom of a nation. The use of satire in great literary works, television entertainment, and comics is an effective way to enlighten the world on the difficulties it faces.
Individuality will always break out and destory conformity itself. Mr. Parsons stayed on the line of the party and did everything he could not to fall off. He still in the end, fell off the
Social Conformity in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest “He Who Marches Out Of Step Hears Another Drum” (Kesey 154). In this modern world, to come to terms with society is to conform to its standards. When a person does not fit the standard mold of a society, they are scrutinized for their divergence.
Conformity is present in every group situation with adolescents. Adolescents are always looking to be a part of a group, usually conforming to the standards of the group. Adolescents often conform because they want to have the approval of the peers that are well liked or “popular”. A great example of adolescents and conformity is in the chick flick ‘Mean Girls’ through the different cliques in high school and how it affects the peers themselves. Caty, the main character, is faced with several difficult situations where she decides to conform with her high school peers getting her in trouble that becomes hard for her to escape.
Throughout the movie we see the different groups in high school that relate to one another in a way that allows high school to function the way it
The movie Mean Girls is a perfect example of many social-psychological principles. Three of the major principles that are seen in the film include: conformity, in-groups and out-groups and prejudice. Cady Herron, a naïve sixteen-year-old who has been homeschooled her entire life, is forced to start as a junior at North Shore High School because of her family’s job relocation. Throughout the movie, you see Cady struggling to maintain acceptance in the school’s in-group known as The Plastics. The Plastics, who represent popularity, high economic status and the acclaimed standard of beauty, are one of the meanest cliques at North Shore.
Whenever we need to break unsatisfactory habits, change our ways of thinking, or even do something differently, no matter how hard we try, many of us go back to our old habits/selves. It is important to use all our will and realize when we are referring back to our old ideology and try as much as we can to build a new way of thinking. Through many classic stories, main characters look as if they are on their road to change by starting to build the new, but it is just too hard for them and they want conformity, so they go back to their old selves. According to the article, “Teen Gangstas”, by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, the plight of Ponyboy Curtis, the protagonist from S.E. Hinton’s classic young adult novel, The Outsiders, will end tragically unless he adopts a pet in which he grows and bond and cares for.
Conformity is a change in behavior, which is normally caused by another person or a group of people’s thoughts or opinions of someone. When an individual is constantly told that they are a certain way, the individual will eventually begin to believe it and conform to other’s views without even realizing it. This happened to the young Emily Grierson, by a numerous amount of people, and continued to happen until the day of her death. Many can probably say that it was the main reason for her deteriorating mental condition, instability, and the strange approach of how she handled death. “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is an unusual story about a girl with a troubled mind who is eventually pushed over the edge by the constant gossip of the townspeople and the heartbreak of a lover.
He did not learn about himself and his passions until he took Mr. Keating’s class. Neil was just another student who molded himself to maintain the academic pressure his father and school put on him. He did not know who he was or what he wanted to be. Then, he gained a taste of freedom by paying attention to Mr. Keating’s lessons. Lessons such as ripping pages out of his poetry and standing on top of his desk encouraged Neil to rebel against his father’s demands.
In S.E. Hinton’s story, The Outsiders, group identity is so important that sometimes people overshadow their own identity. In our generation it is kind of the same way to some people, for instance people sometimes act and dress differently around the popular kids to fit in. While at home they do their normal routine and stay true to themselves. This is so important to the story for many reasons. It is also really important to kids this age in 2017.
Mr. Keating is viewed as rowdy and rebellious to the conservative structure the preparatory usually implements. Neil’s parents are viewed as dominating Neil’s life. Neil parents are overbearing about what Neil needs to do and who he needs to become. Todd thinks his parents favor his brother. They are always comparing him to his brother that previously graduated.
