The negative and positive of conformity - Essay Example

Ideally, individuals choose to conform so that they can derive security in a social group that has a universal religion, age, class, or culture. Indeed, conformity leads to the smooth running of a society. Notably, conformity can adopt a positive or negative view since it can promote positive social change as well as social disasters. The level of conformity that an individual can depict may depend on status, magnitude of the social pressure, and cohesion. Actually, where individuals conform to social pressure to a level of losing their opinion, then we can expect negativity from such conformity.

We can view conformity from a positive perspective where it accords everybody in the society a chance to feel part of the larger society by adopting the way of dressing, speaking, and mode of behavior that is acceptable in the society. More so, conformity allows the society to function (Faqs.org, 2013) as it encourages respect for the law and to the general agreements, which promotes the society’s good and security. Additionally, where an individual checks the accuracy of their actions in reference to the society’s behavior, this may positively encourage care and help in the society.

At the same time, conformity plays a huge role in boosting the self-esteem of the minority groups in the society as it creates a sense of belonging in the group (Jess, 2012). Indeed, social pressure influences the minority groups’ behavior, which allows them to identify with the society without fear or low self-esteem. In fact, upon conformity, the minority groups do not feel empowered. More so, it is also true that conformity ensures that the society runs more effectively as all individuals in the group can easily make a universal decision.

This is so because there will be unity in the society. At the same time, conformity promotes harmony in the group leading to adoption of a certain set of ideas that equally enhance decision-making (Jess, 2012). Moreover, conformity eliminates distress as it relates individual’s behaviors and attitudes to those of the society (Pierr, 2012). Furthermore, it is seemingly challenging to comprehend the aspect of human behavior without relying on conformity to social pressure. As such, we can confirm that depending on the situation, conformity can adopt a positive perspective.

Nevertheless, conformity can adopt a significant negative perspective in the society especially where individuals lose their critical thinking in course of conforming to social pressure (Pierr, 2012). Indeed, peer pressure especially among the young generation derives a very negative perspective towards conformity. For example, when an individual results to drinking and smoking for the sake of looking cool and fitting in their social group manifests negative conformity. Ideally, adolescents will often encourage their friends to conform to social pressure and do what others are doing be it good or bad (Faqs.org, 2013).

Mostly such encouragements are bad and promote negative social behaviors. Moreover, conformity adopts a negative perspective where it forces individuals to stop thinking critically and conform to social pressure blindly (Pierr, 2012). Indeed, in most cases, conformity supersedes individual expression (Tim, 2009) and denies individuals the chance to challenge the majority’s view, which is a very negative attribute. At the same time,