Social change is a shift or adaptation in social norms- takes pace gradually
Often a minority influence is the driving force behind social change, eg: gay rights. By drawing attention to the inequalities in society and by remaining consistent, committed and taking a flexible approach allowed for people outside the minority to engage in deeper processing of the issue
The snowball effect can be seen year on year with social influence with movements- bit by bit erosion of the oppostion and winning over the majority
Strength's of the role of social influence process in social change:
positive implications for the economy when it comes to social change- boosting productivity and creativity
high external validity as occurs in the world
Dickerson et al (1992) study: ppt who made a prior commitment- signing a poster on saving water- spent less time in the shower than those who didn’t: prior commitment to prosocial behaviour results in positive behaviour change
Limitations of the role of social influences processes in social change:
social change happens slowly, not without set backs- difficult to track progress— unsure what the exact drive of change was
some negative impacts on economy, eg: more women in the work place leads to more pay outs for maternity leave
