INTERPRET THE QUOTE…

Social CONTROL

“We must keep tabs on the masses, for they are many and

we are few” -Joseph Stalin

Social Norms

We have “unwritten” rules of behavior. These are called social norms. Norm/folkway: behavior

expectation, break it you are “awkward”.

More: behavior expectation that if broken is highly offensive.

Law: behavior expectation that is sanctioned by the government.Norms have two

dimensions: 1.how much behavior is exhibited2.how much the group approves of that behavior.

Stand-pair-shareStand-pair-shareWith one person next to you:1. Each of you describes a

social norm… a way of doing something that you “just know”.

2. Identify the norms as either a norm/folkway, more, or law.

3. Once you have each come up with a norm, sit down so that I know you are done. Be prepared to share.

Mechanisms of Social Control

Social control mechanisms are means by which society can influence people’s behavior to conform to expectations (norms). (Write one from each category on the following slide)

There are positive sanctions and negative sanctions

AND these can be formal or informal.

A Typology of Sanctions

Positive Negative

Informal

Smiles

Pats on the back

Thumbs up

Encouraging word

Frowns

Avoidance

Obscene gesture

Gossip

Formal

Awards

Promotion in job

Recognition ceremony

“Teacher of the year”

Fines

Fired from job

Imprisonment

Demotion

Death

Social Facilitation and Social Inhibition

Facilitation: simple tasks in front of peers= easier. Inhibition: complex tasks in front of peers=more

difficult

Why do you do what you are

told??? Brainstorm quietly for two minutes on your own and

write down three reasons why you obey others. Use critical thinking, try to think outside of the box.

Next, you will find the other members of your card group quickly… (kings find kings, Ten’s find Ten’s, etc) and you will think-pair-share your three reasons why .

“Always yell with the crowd, that’s what I say. It’s the only way to be safe.” 1984 by George

Orwell.

Conformity and Obedience

– Conformity: going along with peers who have no special right to direct behavior. Put simply, you want to fit into the group.

– Obedience: compliance with higher authorities in an hierarchical structure. Put simply, you don’t want to receive a negative sanction. MUST HAVE AN AUTHORITY FIGURE FOR THERE TO BE OBEDIENCE.

Types of Social Control

Conformity:

“Group Think”

Asch’s Experiment 75% conformed with the

CLEARLY incorrect majority at least one time.

Chameleon Effect “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/conformity.html

Short video:

DEINDIVIDUATION DEINDIVIDUATION (Conformity of groups… conformity “gone wrong”(Conformity of groups… conformity “gone wrong”

L. FESTINGER: anti-normative behavior is more easily released in groups.

Individuals are not seen or paid attention to as individuals. It is immersion in a group to the point at which the individual ceases to be seen as such… more willing to be deviant.

“The mob has many heads, but no brains.”

-G. Washington

Lack of control can happen quickly in Lack of control can happen quickly in crowds/groups…crowds/groups…

Crowds stimulate each other Crowds stimulate each other to higher and higher levels of to higher and higher levels of emotional and irrational emotional and irrational behavior. Individual gives into behavior. Individual gives into pull of the group. pull of the group.

Riots. Mobs. Riots. Mobs. Etc. More chance of risky behavior. (Difference between the two?)

L.A. Riots Case Study

Sublime “April 29, 1992” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM1a1ycLtRs STOP at 1:50 for language

Trailer for “VH1 Riots and Hip Hop”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGVWSeo4nI

EXTREME OBEDIENCE

a.k.a “Blind Obedience”: you do something just because an authority figure tells you to with out asking questions or using your moral judgment.

I say “jump”, you say “how high”?RATM “Bullet in your Head” clean version

(first minute or so) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdLSIH1VIlI

Examples of Extreme/Blind Obedience

Cults

Hitler’s Nazi Germany

North Korea under Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un

Street Gangs such as MS13

Create the following on a piece of paper:

Title “Social Control Mechanisms of:”

Cults Goverments (Nazi Germany

Gangs Chain of Command (military)

SIMILARITIES: when we are finished discussing all four groups, you will make note of common obedience/social control tactics.

WOULD HUMANS DO SOMETHING TOTALLY INHUMANE, JUST

BECAUSE THEY ARE TOLD TO???

COULD SOMEONE BE SO AFRAID OF AUTHORITY THAT THEY

WOULD KILL OR HURT SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD TO?

You bet they would….You bet they would….The Nazi party had 5

million active members.Nazi soldiers murdered 6

million human beings because “they were told to”.

The science of evil.

As we watch the following videos and do readings, write down your observations of social control on your organizer. In other words, how did the Nazi’s use psych to demand obedience…

http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=8CC552F9-A69E-4B6E-AC94-271EB478B0D1&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

How did they do it? PSYCHOLOGY!!!!!!

Started early…Hitler Youth reading.

(One practice of the Hitler Youth: boys were to bring a pet to a Hitler Youth meeting. They were then required to kill it. Taught them that obedience to Hitler outweighed their attachment to anyone or anything else)

“Making of a Nazi” video (Disney) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scxS9pAv9ps

Nazi Obedience Tactics(From the book “Facing History and Ourselves, the Holocaust and Human

Behavior”

Obedience is one of the critical ingredients in a totalitarian society. The Nazi’s managed to convince an EDUCATED nation of millions (Just 70 years ago by the way) that it was okay to kill people based on race or religion. How did they do it?

I will give each group one of the six I will give each group one of the six tactics used by the Nazi’s. Each group will tactics used by the Nazi’s. Each group will tell the class what their tactic is (written tell the class what their tactic is (written in bold) and then will answer the question in bold) and then will answer the question and relay their thoughts to the class.and relay their thoughts to the class.

Cult Case Study: Jonestown

Second largest loss of American civilian life in one day… second only to 9/11.

Why, how could people possibly follow so blindly?

As you watch, write down mechanisms of social control on your graphic organizer that you observe in the videos. You will share your findings.

General info: (student project) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZrHU_j45NI

Actual footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWr45bKWpE

Survivors speak: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036750/ns/msnbc-documentaries/vp/

27188034/#27188034

Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger)

People are motivated to have consistent attitudes and behaviors… we don’t want to contradict ourselves. If we aren’t consistent in our attitudes and behaviors we experience “dissonance”.

Example: I think that only “geeks” study for AP Psych. I find myself reading my Myers book for five hours one night and enjoying it. Now what??? The only solution to reduce the dissonance is to change my attitude and decide that studying Psych is INTERESTING and I am NOT a “geek”.

Role of “Chain of Command” in obedience.

My Lai readingHierarchy: “I was

told to” leads to “evil”.

Write down social control mechanisms on your graphic organizer as we read and watch.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=bWDEk0Zr83k

Obedience and Street Gangs

Read the “Psychology of Gangs” article and add info to organizer, text mark, and connect concepts.

Stand-pair-share using a “One Minute Speech” to answer “Why do people join gangs?” and how do “gangs psychologically control their members?”

MS 13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2EgHda-EUo

Obedience and Stanley Milgram

Obedience compliance of person is due to perceived

authority of asker ****request is perceived as a command not a

question

Milgram interested in unquestioning obedience to orders.

Milgram said… “in the modern industrial world, we are accustomed to submitting to impersonal authority figures, whose status is indicated by a title or uniform”

******We view authority as more important than the individual.

65% give the lethal

dose!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W147ybOdgpE

Milgram’s Study

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Milgram’s Study: Results

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Rethinking Milgram

NPR: “Taking a Closer Look NPR: “Taking a Closer Look at Milgram”.at Milgram”.

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/28/209559002/taking-a-closer-look-at-milgrams-shocking-obedience-study

As we watch think about the following questions and be prepared for a class discussion:

1. Why did Gina Perry turn from admirer of Milgram to a critic?

2. How did some of the original subjects feel about the experiment when interviewed later? Describe their reflections?

3. Most believe that Milgram’s experiment can not ethically be recreated. How do you feel?

Belief Perseverance

People tend to hold on to their beliefs even when it appears that they shouldn't.

Belief perseverance is the tendency to cling to one's initial belief even after receiving new information that contradicts or disconfirms the basis of their belief.

Often times even after joining a cult or committing a social crime, people stubbornly “stick to their guns”.

Individual Individual ResistanceResistance

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Only a third of the individuals in Milgram’s study resisted social coercion. These are the people who are key to

social change and defiance.

An unarmed individual single-handedly challenged a line of tanks at Tiananmen Square.

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Stanford Prison Experiment

P. Zimbardo Even kind, docile people

will abuse power. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Abu Grahib example.Stanford Prison interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0jYx8nwjFQ