Evaluating social change

BARRIERS TO SOCIAL CHANGE: According to Bashir et al. (2013), minority influence can act as a barrier to social change because many people resist social change even when they believe it is necessary. Some minority groups, such as environmental activists or feminists, may live up to the stereotypes associated with those groups, which can be off-putting for outsiders. This can lead to the majority being hesitant to associate with the minority group for fear of being stereotypically labelled.

RESEARCH SUPPORT (NORMATIVE SOCIAL INFLUENCE): There is empirical evidence to support the idea that normative social influence plays a role in social change. In a study conducted by Nolan et al. (2008), residents in San Diego were encouraged to reduce energy consumption by receiving messages on their front doors indicating that most of their neighbours were already doing so. The study spanned one month, and a control group received a message about energy usage without reference to the behaviour of others in the area. The results showed that the experimental group significantly reduced their energy consumption, indicating that conformity can lead to positive social change.

RESEARCH SUPPORT (MINORITY INFLUNECE): The role of cognitive processing in minority and majority influence may differ. According to Moscovici, exposure to a minority viewpoint can prompt individuals to engage in deeper thinking about the issue. However, Mackie (1987) has argued against this idea, proposing instead that when confronted with a different perspective from a majority group, people tend to engage in more critical thinking to understand their reasoning. This argument challenges the validity of Moscovici's minority influence theory and raises questions about its accuracy.

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES: The links between social influence processes and social change may be affected by methodological issues. Some of the research studies that explain social change, such as those conducted by Asch, Milgram, and Moscovici, are criticized for methodological flaws ranging from low generalizability to demand characteristics. Therefore, doubts about the validity of some social influence and social change processes may arise due to the research studies that inform the theories.