The Effects of Conformity and Deviancy on Social Acceptance and Identity
Introduction
When describing one's self, there are two possible paths that are typically taken: some people may choose to define themselves based on their personal characteristics—their attitudes, behaviors, goals, etc.—while other people elect to define themselves by who they are related to, who they spend time with, or perhaps how other people have come to define them. Within social groups, people take on certain social roles. Some social groups value uniformity while others place an importance on varied personalities (Hutchinson, Jetten, & Gutierrez, 2011). Nevertheless, social groups have sets of standards—norms, values, beliefs, etc.— and, while some people choose to behave in a manner that adheres to their social group’s standards, others exhibit deviant behavior and diverge from the accepted standard of their group.
A human's tendency to conform has come to be seen as a part of human nature. According to Craig (2000), human existence is defined by the interrelations between people as one cannot be human without also having a unitive consciousness that merges humans as a species. Furthermore, the tendency of people to conform to norms is acknowledged as an essential part of a stable society (Sherif, 1936). Through conformity, people are able to foster a harmonious social atmosphere. Some people, however, value deviancy over conformity. According to Sampson (1988), in cultures such as America where uniqueness is valuable, conforming to group norms is presumed to undermine individual behavior and groups hold the power of deindividuation. Therefore, some people value deviating from social norms as they have a desire to distinguish themselves from others (Kim & Markus, 1999).
Despite the negative connotation of the word, deviancy is not altogether bad. Similarly, conformity can lead to negative behaviors within social groups. Deviant behavior is often viewed in a negative manner due to its attachment to crime and other behaviors that have a negative impact on society (Hutchinson, Jetten, & Gutierrez, 2011). Without social deviance, however, there would be a fundamental lack of diversity, and social change would never occur. In certain situations and social groups, deviant behavior is even seen as valuable and positive. According to Blanton and Christie (2003), personal identities are actually defined by what makes each person different from others within their social group. In this sense, deviation from the norm is what makes a person fundamentally valuable to their social group. Both conformity and deviancy have the potential to attract social acceptance or rejection as well as effecting individual people's identities.
Literature Review
A person’s tendency to conform can be explained in multiple different ways. For example, belonging to a social group has the ability to make people feel good as well as capable and in control of their lives (Greenaway et al., 2015). The reason for a person’s tendency toward conformity could also be seen as an attempt to gain acceptance by a social group. Because of this, people’s expressed attitudes within a social group can also effect a person’s tendency toward deviant behavior or conformity. For example, according to Heerdink, Kleef, Homan, and Fischer (2013), the expression of a group’s anger or happiness can cause a group member to either conform or deviate from the group’s norms. In the study, after a group expressed anger toward a group member, the group member was more likely to conform and withdraw from a group, contributing less to group tasks, due to feelings of rejection and to prove that they are committed to the group’s identity and goals. Furthermore, people have a fundamental need to belong within their social group and people can accomplish this by conforming to other’s definitions of who they are meant to be (Ellemers, Spears, & Doosje, 2002). Conformity can positively benefit groups by promoting social harmony and unity.
Certain factors can also effect a person, so they are more likely to deviate. According to Taylor, Biafora, and Warheit (1994), ethnicity can effect adolescents' likeliness to deviate. Racial mistrust is acknowledged to be a psychological defense mechanism for racial minority groups but can also become maladaptive as they become more likely to act on their distrust, isolate themselves from social norms, and ultimately act in a deviant manner. Also, people who are ethnic minorities and reported themselves as conforming to the dominant group's norms are more likely to feel as though their ethnic culture was not respected by others outside of their ethnic culture group (Downie, Mageau, Koestner, & Liodden, 2006).
Socioeconomic status can also determine one’s tendency toward conformity or deviancy. According to Duguid and Goncalo (2015), individuals within the middle class exhibit more insecure behavior and, consequently, conform to society’s norms more than those within the upper and lower socioeconomic classes. Individuals in the middle class often conform to the majority group’s standard and lose a sense of creativity due to their anxiety at possible criticism, negative evaluations, and the threat of losing their status (Kim, Vincent, & Goncalo, 2013). Due to the perceived social risk of deviant behavior, observers tend to infer that people who intentionally do not conform to the standards of society hold a position of power and wealth (Belleza, Gina, & Keinan, 2013).
By nature, group leaders stand out from the crowd. Whether they are self-appointed, thrust into the label, or formally chosen to fill the position, a leader does not blend in well with the others in the group (de Moura & Abrams, 2013). Therefore, a leader is a deviant by character which may or may not contradict the idea that leadership is a valuable character trait. If a group is considered “in”, the leader is considered to be the best of the best. If a group is perceived to be “out”, then their leader is viewed as the evil-ruler. Within the group, the leader is someone the members strive to emulate. In addition, a leader’s deviant ideas are seen as original and more accepted by the group than if the same idea were presented by an ordinary group member (Abrams, de Moura, Marques, & Hutchinson, 2008). When a leader does something bad or corrupt, a double standard exists in which the ingroup leader’s transgression tends to be viewed less harshly than that of an ingroup member, outgroup member, and lastly the outgroup leader. A plausible theory is that leaders are able to define the group structure, which makes it hard for members of the group to dispute or criticize leaders who deviate (de Moura & Abrams, 2013).
Between 25% and 33% of college women suffer sexual assault while attending college (Cantor et al., 2015). Parents do not send their daughters to college with this as an acceptable statistic in their minds. According to Corprew and Mitchell (2014), there is evidence that shows that fraternity membership has a direct correlation with sexual violence. The continuation of this trend appears to be due to a greater peer pressure to have sex as well as a greater approval of nonconsensual sex within fraternities. The masculine gender norms including physical dominance, aggression and violence, winning, emotional control, and engaging in risky behaviors all serve to permit men to view women as objects to be dominated, controlled, and won. This behavior makes them appear manlier in the eyes of their brothers and perpetuates the sexual abuse of women on college campuses (Seabrook, Ward, & Giaccardi, 2018).
Alcohol use, particularly heavy episodic drinking, in college students tends to be higher than the non-collegiate population – especially in Greek life (Hingson, Heeren, Zakocs, Winter, & Wechsler, 2
003). Male gender norms include heavy alcohol consumption while female gender norms do not. Rahav, Wilsnack, Bloomfield, Gmel, and Kuntsche (2006) suggest that it is perhaps due to women’s changing role in our society that college-age women are drinking more heavily in what may be an effort to seem more masculine. Heavy alcohol consumption causes more problems for women because their bodies metabolize alcohol differently resulting in higher blood alcohol content even with less alcohol consumed (Wechsler, Dowdall, Davenport, & Rimm, 1995). Women are also more likely to face other serious health issues over time due to excessive alcohol consumption than men. According to Kaya (2016), women who conform to distinct female gender norms tend to abstain more from drinking.
Gender stereotypes are harmful both mentally and physically to men and women. Ironically, when people dare to deviate from their respective gender rules, they may suffer socially and economically (Moss-Racusin, Phelan, & Rudman, 2010). When men behave modestly in the workplace, they may be ostracized and disliked on the job. On the other hand, women are expected to behave modestly. A woman who is more boastful of her abilities will be considered too cocky and passed over in the hunt for a new job or promotion.
Conformity in creativity is an issue for individuals in the “middle”. Unlike individuals in both “low” and “high” status, people within the middle class believe they are vulnerable in circumstances where status forfeiture is conceivable. These people struggle to preserve their central position or amplify their standing and are very wary about acting in manners that could hamper this objective. This worry with station forfeiture may have substantial repercussions for problem-solving and duty execution (Duguid & Goncalo, 2015).
A relationship exists between creativity and deviance. Because inventive individuals reason and interpret circumstances in a different way than those who are less imaginative, they have a propensity for deviance should the opportunity present itself (Gutworth & Hunter, 2017). Creativity is approaching an obstacle from an alternate viewpoint, but occasionally that difficulty happens to be unlawful in nature. Breaking from standard rules and conventional ways of reasoning are intrinsic to both ingenuity and criminality (Smith, 2015).
Conforming to norms can positively affect student's academic performance. While studying academic motivation and social identity in elementary school children, Masland and Lease (2013) found that children who belonged in more academically-inclined social groups were more likely to conform to good study habits and higher academic performance than children who belong to less academically-inclined social groups. Popularity within schools, however, is associated with students being more likely to engage in deviant behavior for social acceptance (Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh, & McElhaney, 2005).
[Teen High-Risk Behavior]
Teen and young adult use of marijuana is a potentially high-risk behavior that most parents dread.
According to Täuber and Sassenberg (2012), members of a sports team who are identified as weak members may conform to group norms that are ultimately detrimental to their performance due to their concern over unambitious group goals rather than individual goals. Meanwhile, strong members of the team tend to deviate from team norms, risking criticism from other team members, by engaging in risky behavior to attempt to pull their team ahead of their competition. According to Hughes and Coakley (1991), deviant behavior within sports teams may come in the form of conforming too much as many of the problems that come with competitive sports are due to the athlete’s tendency to overconform to their sport’s values. For example, an athlete is told not to give into pain or pressure and they are meant to reject boundaries and limitations in the pursuit of “being the best one can be” which can cause athletes to take unnecessary risks and injure themselves.