AO3 - Social Change

• There is real life evidence to support the role of minority influence in social change from the suffragette movement. The minority group of women showed consistency by having the same belief that women should have equal rights between all members, over a long period of time. They showed dedication by going on hunger strikes and they were flexible as they accepted women have a vote at the age 30. The majority internalised the idea that women should have equal rights and now society's attitudes, behaviours and laws have changed demonstrating the role of social process in the real world.
• An alternative explanation for how minority groups can cause social change is through normative social influence. This is where minority groups can provide information about what other people are doing, such as telling young people that most do not smoke to deter smoking behaviours. This mean that social change is encouraged by drawing attention to what the majority are doing and how individuals can be seen as more desirable rather than through minority influence processes such as consistency. Therefore there could be several social influence processes that contribute to social change.