Social psychologist Irving Janis coined the term groupthink to describe how people often respond differently in a group context than they might if they were alone. Another interesting topic of sociological study is the area of deviance and social control. The textbook provides multiples examples from history where groupthink may have influenced people to participate in socially deviant behavior that they might have otherwise avoided.
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
- Option 1: Share an example from your personal experience (of your own or of someone you know), or an example from history, where groupthink may have influenced people to behave or arrive at a decision in a way that many individual members privately might have avoided or thought unwise.
- Option 2: Complete an observation: In a safe environment, perhaps around family or friends, select one of the social norm violations below to conduct in a social experiment:
- Take food off of someone else’s plate
- Constantly interrupt when someone else is talking
- Stand really close to someone when talking with them
When you are done, be sure to tell them what you were doing!
Describe the person’s interaction as you were acting against traditional social norms. After you explain what you were doing, ask them how they felt when you were acting in a way contrary to traditionally forms of accepted behavior. Examine how this social experiment helps us explore why society views certain behaviors as deviant and whether perceptions of that behavior have changed over time. Determine and explain which theory of deviance you think works best for understanding the deviant behavior you have chosen to discuss. Remember to be respectful in light of potentially sensitive topics, and consider what you might be disclosing, as there is no guarantee of privacy.