Minority influence is a powerful force for innovation and social change. e.g. civil rights movement in the USA in the 1950s-60s
Drawing attention
In order for a social change to occur, the majority must first of all be made aware of the need for the change.E.g: civil rights drew attention by providing social proof of situation- whole south being for whites mainly.
Consistency
Civil Rights movement displayed constant messages in their marches and many people were taking part
Deeper processing
Majority thinks more about the cause. E.g: People began to question the racist 'social' norms
The Augmentation principle
Idea that people should assign greater weight to a particular cause because of showed commitment E.g: Number of people risking their lives like 'freedom riders' on buses
snowball effect (social change)
When minority becomes majority.E.g:civil rights activists continued to press for charges that eventually got attention of US government who then passed civil rights act, prohibiting discrimination
cryptomnesia
Failure to recognise that our ideas originated with someone else.E.g: People in South don't remember how racism was stopped.
Dissent
Dissent has potential to lead to social change
Environmental and health campaigns
Exploit conformity processes to appeal to NSI: social change is encouraged by what the majority is doing
Milgram
Showed importance of disobedient role models
Zimbardo
Suggested social change is created via gradual commitment. When one small instruction obeyed, it becomes harder to resist a bigger one.
