Conformism is opportunistic behavior, passive acceptance of public morality and the social position of the majority. This word is often used to explain the lack of one’s own active position or personal opinion. However, conformism also has its positive sides. The opposite of this phenomenon is considered nonconformism.
History of origin
This phenomenon in psychology was first described by Muzafer Sherif, who studied the emergence of certain patterns in groups of subjects. However, the term “conformism” itself was first introduced in 1956. It was then that Solomon Asch first conducted a psychological experiment with a group of people to prove the so-called conformity effect.
He was observing a group of 7 people. All of them needed to determine which of the three presented segments corresponded to the reference one. When people answered this question individually, the answers were often correct. When working in a group, one “dummy” subject had to convince the others to change their minds. An interesting fact is that 40% changed their minds and succumbed to the influence of others. The same data were obtained from many similar studies.
Conformity continued to be studied in the future. In 1963, the famous Milgram experiment was conducted. This scientist studied human behavior and became one of the founders of social psychology. Based on the research, a documentary film was made “ Obedience."
Main types
Conformity is also called conformity. This term refers exclusively to a psychological phenomenon and is not used in other areas of human activity.
Conformism or conformity have their own types or subtypes. It is very important to be able to classify them correctly.
Highlight:
- Internal conformism, which is associated with a reassessment of values based on one’s own experience. It can also be compared to self-criticism and introspection;
- Adaptation to the norms and rules of the society in which a person is located is called external conformity.
Since conformism was studied by many talented psychologists, they naturally proposed their own gradations. G. Kelmen identified three levels:
G. Song identified only two types of conformity. He spoke about rational conformism, in which a person is guided by sound reasoning. Whereas irrational conformism is akin to the herd instinct, in which human behavior is guided by emotions and instincts.
Factors of occurrence
It is not always the case that a person tries to conform to the opinion of the crowd. There are a number of factors that contribute to this.
First of all, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the person himself, namely the degree of his suggestibility. How 
The higher his intellectual abilities and the greater his knowledge base, the more likely he will be to criticize any judgment or dubious fact. It is also important to assess resilience and levels of self-esteem and self-esteem. After all, those who are in dire need of recognition and approval from society most often follow the lead of the crowd.
The social status of an individual is no less important. After all, someone who occupies an important position and is accustomed to moving up the career ladder is more often a leader than a follower.
Each situation is individual. The same person in some situations shows conformism, but in others remains a bright individualist. In this case, the person’s personal interest in the issue or situation plays a role. He also pays attention to the competence of his opponent.
Conformist differences
If we consider conformism as a social meaning, then we can distinguish several groups of social conformists. They differ in the extent to which their opinions change under pressure from others.
The first group includes situational conformists. These people are very dependent on the opinions of others and greatly crave the approval of the majority. Such a member of society is stronger and more accustomed to following the opinion of the crowd. They live with the idea that “the crowd cannot be wrong.” They are excellent performers and subordinates, but they do not like and do not know how to take initiative. They calmly replace their own representation of the surrounding reality with the public one.
The second group is internal conformists. These are people with a very unstable position and their own opinions. In case of a conflict or controversial situation, they accept the opinion of the majority and internally agree with it, even if initially their opinion differed. This behavior is considered a type of resolving a conflict with a group in favor of the group. Representatives of the first and second groups are considered excellent performers and a godsend for a leader.
The third group consists of external conformists. They pretend that they agree with the opinions of others, but only outwardly. Inside, they still disagree and remain their own. A certain lack of self-confidence or an abundance of external factors does not allow them to openly protest, and not everyone dares to be an outcast.
The fourth group of people acts from a position of negativism. They vehemently deny the opinion of the majority and try not to be led. But this is not true nonconformism. The goal of such people is to resist everyone, no matter the cost. Their position was perfectly voiced in a Soviet cartoon with one phrase: “Baba Yaga is against it!” For such people, the protest itself is important, and not the defense of their own opinion, which they often do not have.
True conformism must be distinguished from unanimity and unity of opinions and views. Accepting other people's thoughts under pressure from people, circumstances or individual personality traits is conformity.
CONFORMISM (from Late Latin conformis - similar, conformable) - uncritical acceptance by an individual of the existing order of things, adaptation to it, refusal to develop one’s own position, passive adherence to the prevailing way of thinking and type of behavior, general social or group standards and stereotypes. A conformist attitude is developed by the pressure of the social environment on the subject, carried out in an explicit or hidden form against the background of weakened rational-critical thinking of the subject, his self-awareness, depression of emotional and volitional manifestations of the personality.
Conformism (Kojaspirova, 2001)
CONFORMISM (conformal reactions) (from Latin conformis - similar, conformable) - a person’s compliance to group influence, changing his behavior, attitudes in accordance with the position of the majority, which was not previously shared. Conformity depends on the personal qualities of the individual, his self-esteem, self-esteem, intelligence, and can increase in stressful situations. In children, conformity is developed to a greater extent than in adults, in women - more strongly than in men. Conformity can be internal, personal, and external, expressed in demonstrative agreement with the group on various issues.
Social conformism
SOCIAL CONFORMISM - adaptation, a person’s desire to passively perceive the existing order of things, to change his behavior under the influence of other individuals in such a way that it corresponds to the thoughts of others, includes such areas as lack of individuality, standardization, manipulation and conservatism.
Conformism (Reisberg, 2012)
CONFORMISM (late Latin conformis - similar, similar) - opportunism, passive perception of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, bordering on servility, passive acceptance of the prevailing order, opinions, conciliation, unprincipledness.
Raizberg B.A. Modern socioeconomic dictionary. M., 2012, p. 237.
Conformism (Lopukhov, 2013)
CONFORMISM - uncritical acceptance and adherence to prevailing opinions and standards of behavior in society, traditions, principles of life, values, including those formed by the media; unprincipled opportunism, passive and external acceptance of the existing social order in the absence of one’s own opinion, one’s own civic position.
Dictionary of terms and concepts in social science. Author-compiler A.M. Lopukhov. 7th ed. pereb. and additional M., 2013, p. 176.
Conformism (KPS, 1988)
CONFORMISM (from Latin conformis - similar, similar) - opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order, prevailing opinion, etc.; lack of own positions, unprincipled and uncritical adherence to any model that has the greatest pressure (authority, tradition, etc.). In modern bourgeois society, conformism in relation to the social system and dominant values is imposed by a system of education and ideological influence.
Brief political dictionary. M., 1988, p. 192.
Conformism (Frolov, 1991)
CONFORMISM (lat. conformis - similar, conformable) is a concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, etc. In contrast to collectivism, which presupposes the active participation of the individual in the development of group decisions, the conscious assimilation of collective values and the ensuing correlation of one’s own behavior with the interests of the collective, society and, if necessary, subordination to the latter; conformism is the absence of one’s own position, unprincipled and uncritical adherence to any model that has the greatest force of pressure (majority opinion, recognized authority, historical tradition, etc.). The revolutionary transformation of society is impossible without overcoming conformism. We need such people, Lenin said, for whom “we can vouch that they will not take a word on faith, not a word will they say against their conscience”, will not be afraid of “any struggle to achieve a seriously set goal”...
, ) - the existing order of things, generally accepted norms or requirements of the authorities to their improper nature. proposes, on the one hand, to “come out of the world” and from conformity in relation to everything that is generated by the sinful aspirations of fallen human nature, but, on the other hand, not along the path of zealot rebellion. called “not from this world” (see Rom. 12.2), not at odds with the spirit of devaluation of all values and trampling of all sacred things, but with it into spiritual struggle. , noted P. Tillich, it is not capable of constructive social criticism and self-criticism of its own tradition from various errors, not in the fight against the onslaught of modern quasi-religions.
2) Conformism- (from Late Lat. conformis -, conformable) - a moral-political and moral-psychological concept denoting opportunism, passiveness of the existing social order, political regime, etc., as well as the willingness to agree with prevailing opinions and views, general sentiments, widespread in society. How K. is also regarded as non-resistance to prevailing trends, despite their internal rejection, self-withdrawal from criticism of certain aspects of socio-political and economic reality, reluctance to express one’s own opinion, refusal of any responsibility for actions taken, blind submission and adherence to any requirements and instructions, coming from the state, society, party, leader, religious organization, patriarchal community, family, etc. (such submission may be due not only to internal beliefs, but also to mentality and tradition). A high degree of K. based on fanaticism, dogmatism, and authoritarian thinking is characteristic of a number of religious sects. K. means the absence or suppression of one’s own position and principles, as well as the rejection of them under the pressure of various forces, conditions, and circumstances. The role of the latter, depending on the situation, can be the opinion of the majority, authority, traditions, etc. K. in many cases corresponds to the objective interest of the state in maintaining control over the population, and often corresponds to the ideas of power structures about trustworthiness. Therefore, culture in society is often implanted and cultivated by the dominant ideology, the educational system that serves it, propaganda services, and the media. States with totalitarian regimes are primarily prone to this. All forms of collectivist consciousness are conformist in their essence, implying strict subordination of individual behavior to social norms and demands emanating from the majority. Nevertheless, in the “free world” with its inherent cult of individualism, uniformity of judgment, stereotypical perception and thinking are also the norm. Despite external pluralism, society imposes on its members the “rules of the game,” consumption standards, and lifestyle. Moreover, in the conditions of globalization and the spread of unified international forms of culture throughout almost the entire territory of the globe, culture now appears as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the formula “this is how the whole world lives.”
3) Conformism- - agreement; philosophical doctrine of smoothing out conflicts up to the loss of their own principled positions of the opposing, conflicting parties.
4) Conformism- (Latin conformis - more consistent) - a socio-psychological orientation that develops not as a result of independent decisions (“or full participation in solving) social and moral problems, but of passive, adaptive acceptance of the ready-made order of things. A conformist does not develop his own moral position when solving objectively determined problems, but adapts to those standards and canons of behavior and consciousness that have the greatest force of pressure on him, that is, they are imposed on him explicitly (by coercion) or implicitly (by suggestion, through tradition or other way). Pre-capitalist formations are characterized by routine, inert K-, which represents “an enormous force of habit and inertia...” (Lenin V.I., vol. 39, p. 15). Modern Capitalism is more characterized by mobility, “flexibility,” following the conjuncture. In ideology, culture means the replacement of the worldview of Konueir-Tsyai with its epigonic imitations, · the transformation of the most accessible formulas into a meaningless ritual. At the same time, K finds himself trying to reserve absolute infallibility for his authority. In ethics, K. is tantamount to a person’s renunciation of the sovereignty of his moral mind, of his own choice and the assignment of responsibility to external factors (things, social institutions, etc.), therefore. renunciation of oneself as a person. The moral irresponsibility of any conformist is manifested both in dogmatic adherence to a standard of action or a stereotype of thought, and in orientation to the dictates of changeable fashion. In this way, communism differs from collectivism, from the solidarity actively developed by participants in a common cause and the conscious discipline that flows from it.
5) Conformism- (lat. conformis -, conformable) - a concept denoting opportunism, passive of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, etc. In contrast to collectivism, which presupposes the active participation of the individual in the development of group decisions, the conscious assimilation of collective values and the resulting correlation of one’s own behavior with the interests of the collective, community and, if necessary, subordination to the latter, K. is the absence of one’s own position, unprincipled and uncritical adherence to any model that has the greatest force of pressure (majority opinion, recognized authority, historical tradition, etc.) . The revolutionary transformation of society is impossible without overcoming K. We need such people, Lenin said, for whom “we can guarantee that they will not take a word on faith, not a word will they say against their conscience,” and will not be afraid of “any struggle to achieve a seriously set goal” (Vol. 45, pp. 391-392). Moral and political justice should not be identified with conformity (conformal reactions) as a psychological phenomenon. The assimilation of certain norms, habits and values is a necessary aspect of the socialization of an individual (the acquisition of qualities without which his life in society is impossible) and a prerequisite for the normal functioning of any social system. The psychological mechanisms of selection and assimilation of social information by an individual depend on a whole set of factors: individual-personal (level of intelligence, degree of suggestibility, stability of self-esteem and level of self-esteem, need for the approval of others, etc.), microsocial (the position of the individual in the group, its importance along with it, the degree of cohesion and structure of the group), situational (the content of the task and the individual’s interest in it, the measure of his competence, whether the decision is made publicly, in a narrow circle or in private, etc.), general social and general cultural (conditions existing in the -ve for the development of independence, personal responsibility, etc.).
Conformism
(from lat. con-formis - similar, similar) - acceptance of the existing order of things, generally accepted norms or demands of power contrary to their improper nature. The Gospel suggests, on the one hand, to “come out of the world” and renounce conformity in relation to everything that is generated by the sinful aspirations of fallen human nature, but, on the other hand, not to follow the path of Zealot rebellion. Christians are called “not to be conformed to the spirit of this age” (see Rom. 12.2), not to try to be at peace with this spirit of devaluation of all values and trampling of all sacred things, but to engage in spiritual struggle with it. Spirituality, P. Tillich noted, if it is not capable of clearing its own tradition of various errors in constructive social criticism and self-criticism, will not win the fight against the onslaught of modern quasi-religions.
(from Late Latin conformis - similar, conformable) - a moral-political and moral-psychological concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing social order, political regime, etc., as well as a willingness to agree with prevailing opinions and views, general sentiments, widespread in society. How K. is also regarded as non-resistance to prevailing trends, despite their internal rejection, self-withdrawal from criticism of certain aspects of socio-political and economic reality, reluctance to express one’s own opinion, refusal of any responsibility for actions taken, blind submission and adherence to any requirements and instructions, coming from the state, society, party, leader, religious organization, patriarchal community, family, etc. (such submission may be due not only to internal beliefs, but also to mentality and tradition). A high degree of K. based on fanaticism, dogmatism, and authoritarian thinking is characteristic of a number of religious sects. K. means the absence or suppression of one’s own position and principles, as well as the rejection of them under the pressure of various forces, conditions, and circumstances. The role of the latter, depending on the situation, can be the opinion of the majority, authority, traditions, etc. K. in many cases corresponds to the objective interest of the state in maintaining control over the population, and often corresponds to the ideas of power structures about trustworthiness. Therefore, culture in society is often implanted and cultivated by the dominant ideology, the educational system that serves it, propaganda services, and the media. States with totalitarian regimes are primarily prone to this. All forms of collectivist consciousness are conformist in their essence, implying strict subordination of individual behavior to social norms and demands emanating from the majority. Nevertheless, in the “free world” with its inherent cult of individualism, uniformity of judgment, stereotypical perception and thinking are also the norm. Despite external pluralism, society imposes on its members the “rules of the game,” consumption standards, and lifestyle. Moreover, in the conditions of globalization and the spread of unified international forms of culture throughout almost the entire territory of the globe, culture now appears as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the formula “this is how the whole world lives.”
Agreement; philosophical doctrine of smoothing out conflicts up to the loss of their own principled positions of the opposing, conflicting parties.
(lat. conformis - more consistent) - a socio-psychological orientation that develops not as a result of independent decisions (“or full participation in the solution) of social and moral problems, but of passive, adaptive acceptance of the ready-made order of things. A conformist does not develop his own moral position when solving objectively determined problems, but adapts to those standards and canons of behavior and consciousness that have the greatest force of pressure on him, that is, they are imposed on him explicitly (by coercion) or implicitly (by suggestion, through tradition or other way). Pre-capitalist formations are characterized by routine, inert K-, which represents “an enormous force of habit and inertia...” (Lenin V.I., vol. 39, p. 15). Modern Capitalism is more characterized by mobility, “flexibility,” following the conjuncture. In ideology, culture means the replacement of the worldview of Konueir-Tsyai with its epigonic imitations, · the transformation of the most accessible formulas into a meaningless ritual. At the same time, K finds himself trying to reserve absolute infallibility for his authority. In ethics, K. is tantamount to a person’s renunciation of the sovereignty of his moral mind, of his own choice and the assignment of responsibility to external factors (things, social institutions, etc.), therefore. renunciation of oneself as a person. The moral irresponsibility of any conformist is manifested both in dogmatic adherence to a standard of action or a stereotype of thought, and in orientation to the dictates of changeable fashion. In this way, communism differs from collectivism, from the solidarity actively developed by participants in a common cause and the conscious discipline that flows from it.
(lat. conformis - similar, conformable) - a concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, etc. In contrast to collectivism, which presupposes the active participation of the individual in the development of group decisions, the conscious assimilation of collective values and the resulting correlation own behavior with the interests of the collective, society and, if necessary, subordination to the latter, K. is the absence of one’s own position, unprincipled and uncritical adherence to any model that has the greatest force of pressure (majority opinion, recognized authority, historical tradition, etc. ). The revolutionary transformation of society is impossible without overcoming K. We need such people, Lenin said, for whom “we can guarantee that they will not take a word on faith, not a word will they say against their conscience,” and will not be afraid of “any struggle to achieve a seriously set goal” (Vol. 45, pp. 391-392). Moral and political justice should not be identified with conformity (conformal reactions) as a psychological phenomenon. The assimilation of certain norms, habits and values is a necessary aspect of the socialization of an individual (the acquisition of qualities without which his life in society is impossible) and a prerequisite for the normal functioning of any social system. The psychological mechanisms of selection and assimilation of social information by an individual depend on a whole set of factors: individual-personal (level of intelligence, degree of suggestibility, stability of self-esteem and level of self-esteem, need for the approval of others, etc.), microsocial (the position of the individual in the group, its importance along with it, the degree of cohesion and structure of the group), situational (the content of the task and the individual’s interest in it, the measure of his competence, whether the decision is made publicly, in a narrow circle or in private, etc.), general social and general cultural (conditions existing in the -ve for the development of independence, personal responsibility, etc.).
Even ancient philosophers believed that a person, living in society, cannot be independent of it. Throughout his life, an individual has various connections with other people (indirect or direct). He affects others or is himself exposed to them. It often happens that a person can change his opinion or behavior under the influence of society and agrees with someone else’s point of view. This behavior is explained by the ability to conform.
Conformism is an adaptation, as well as passive agreement with the order of things, with the opinions and views that exist in a certain society where the individual is located. This is unconditional adherence to some models that have the greatest pressure (recognized authority, traditions, the opinion of the majority of people, etc.), lack of one’s own point of view on any issues. This term translated from Latin (conformis) means “conforming, similar.”
Research on Conformity
Muzafer Sherif in 1937 studied the emergence of group norms in laboratory conditions. There was a screen in a dark room on which a point source of light appeared, then it moved chaotically for several seconds and then disappeared. The person undergoing the test had to notice how far the light source had moved compared to when it first appeared. At the beginning of the experiment, the subjects went through it alone and independently tried to answer the question posed. However, at the second stage, three people were already in a dark room, and they gave an answer in agreement. It was observed that people changed their minds regarding the average group norm. And at further stages of the experiment, they sought to continue to adhere to this very norm. Thus, Sheriff was the first to prove with the help of his experiment that people tend to agree with the opinions of others and often trust the judgments and views of strangers, to the detriment of their own.
Solomon Asch introduced the concept of conformity in 1956 and announced the results of his experiments, which involved a dummy group and one naive subject. A group of 7 people took part in an experiment that was aimed at studying the perception of the length of segments. During it, it was necessary to indicate one of the three segments that was drawn on the poster, corresponding to the standard. During the first stage, the dummy subjects, one at a time, almost always gave the correct answer. At the second stage, the whole group gathered together. And the dummy members deliberately gave the wrong answer, but the naive subject was unaware of this. With a categorical opinion, all the dummy participants in the experiment exerted strong pressure on the opinion of the subject. Judging by Asch's data, about 37% of all those who passed the test still listened to the wrong opinion of the group and thereby showed conformity.
Subsequently, Asch and his students organized many more experiments, varying the material presented for perception. Richard Crutchwild, for example, proposed estimating the area of a circle and a star, while persuading a dummy group to claim that the first was smaller than the second, although the star was equal in diameter to the circle. Despite such an extraordinary experience, people were found who showed conformity. We can safely say that in each of their experiments, Sherif, Asch, and Crutchvild did not use harsh coercion, there were no punishments for opposing the group’s opinions or rewards for agreeing with the group’s views. However, people voluntarily joined the opinions of the majority and thereby showed conformity.
Conditions for the emergence of conformism
S. Milgram and E. Aronson believe that conformity is a phenomenon that, to a greater or lesser extent, occurs in the presence or absence of the following conditions:
It increases if the task to be completed is quite complex, or the subject is incompetent in this matter;
Group size: the degree of conformity becomes greatest when a person is faced with the same opinion of three or more people;
Personality type: a person with low self-esteem is more susceptible to the influence of the group, in contrast to a person with high self-esteem;
Composition of the group: if there are experts, its members are significant people, and if it contains people belonging to the same social environment, then conformity increases;
Cohesion: the more cohesive a group is, the more power it has over its members;
Having an ally: if a person who defends his opinion or doubts the opinions of others has at least one ally, then the tendency to submit to group pressure decreases;
Public answer: a person is more susceptible to conformity when he has to speak in front of others than when he writes down his answers in a notebook; If an opinion is expressed publicly, then, as a rule, they try to adhere to it.
Types of behavior associated with conformity
According to S. Asch, conformism is a person’s refusal of views that are significant and dear to him in order to optimize the adaptation process in a group; it is not just any alignment of opinions. Conformal behavior, or conformism, shows the degree to which an individual submits to the pressure of the majority, his acceptance of a certain stereotype of behavior, standard, value orientations of the group, norms, and values. The opposite of this is independent behavior, which is resistant to group pressure. There are four types of behavior towards it:
1. External conformism is a phenomenon when a person accepts the norms and opinions of a group only externally, but internally, at the level of self-awareness, he does not agree with it, but does not say so out loud. In general, this is true conformism. This type of behavior is characteristic of a person adapting to a group.
2. Internal conformity occurs when a person actually assimilates the opinion of the majority and agrees with it completely. This reveals a high level of suggestibility of the individual. This type is adaptable to the group.
3. Negativism manifests itself when a person resists group opinion in every possible way, very actively tries to defend his views, shows his independence, proves, argues, strives for his opinion to eventually become the opinion of the entire group, does not hide this desire. This type of behavior indicates that the individual does not want to adapt to the majority, but strives to adapt them to himself.
4. Nonconformism is independence of norms, judgments, values, independence, and non-susceptibility to group pressure. This type of behavior is characteristic of a self-sufficient person, when the opinion does not change due to the pressure of the majority and is not imposed on other people.
Modern studies of conformity make it the object of study of four sciences: psychology, sociology, philosophy and political science. Therefore, there is a need to separate it as a phenomenon in the social sphere and conformal behavior as a psychological feature of a person.
Conformism and psychology
Conformism in psychology is the individual’s compliance with imaginary or real group pressure. With this behavior, a person changes personal attitudes and behavior in accordance with the position of the majority, although he did not previously share it. The individual voluntarily gives up his own opinion. Conformism in psychology is also a person’s unconditional agreement with the position of the people around him, regardless of how consistent it is with his own feelings and ideas, accepted norms, moral and ethical rules and logic.
Conformism and sociology
Conformism in sociology is the passive acceptance of the social order that already exists, the opinions prevailing in society, etc. It is necessary to distinguish from it other manifestations of uniformity in opinions, views, judgments that can be formed in the process of socialization of the individual, as well as change views due to convincing argumentation. Conformism in sociology is the adoption by a person of a certain opinion under pressure, “under pressure” from a group or society as a whole. It is explained by the fear of any sanctions or the reluctance to be left alone. When studying conformist behavior in a group, it turned out that about one third of all people tend to exhibit similar behavior, that is, they subordinate their behavior to the opinion of the entire group.
Conformism and philosophy
Conformism in philosophy is a widespread form of behavior in modern society, its protective form. In contrast to collectivism, which presupposes the participation of the individual in the development of group decisions, the conscious assimilation of the values of the group, the correlation of one’s behavior with the interests of the entire society, the team and, if necessary, subordination to the latter, conformism is the absence of one’s own position, uncritical and unprincipled adherence to any model , which has the greatest pressure force.
The person who uses it completely assimilates the type of personality that is offered to him, ceases to be himself, and completely becomes like others, as the rest of the group or society as a whole expects him to be. Philosophers believe that this helps the individual not to feel lonely and anxious, although he has to pay for this with the loss of his “I”.
Conformism and political science
Political conformism is a psychological attitude and behavior that represents adaptive adherence to norms that were previously accepted in society or a group. Typically, people are not always inclined to follow social norms, only because they accept the values that underlie these very norms (law-abidingness). Most often, some individuals, and sometimes even the majority, follow them out of pragmatic expediency or out of fear of negative sanctions being applied to them (this is conformism in the negative, narrow sense).
Thus, conformism in politics is a method of political opportunism as passive acceptance of existing orders, as blind imitation of stereotypes of political behavior dominant in society, as the absence of one’s own positions.
Social conformism
Social conformism is the uncritical perception and adherence to the opinions that dominate society, mass standards, stereotypes, authoritative principles, traditions and attitudes. A person does not try to resist prevailing trends, even though internally he does not accept them. The individual perceives economic and socio-political reality without any criticism and does not express any desire to express his own opinion. Social conformism is the refusal to take personal responsibility for actions taken, blind submission and adherence to the instructions and demands that come from society, party, state, religious organization, family, leader, etc. Such submission can be explained by traditions or mentality.
Pros and cons of conformity
There are positive features of conformity, among which are the following:
Strong team cohesion, especially in crisis situations, helps to cope with them more successfully.
Organizing joint activities becomes easier.
The time it takes for a new person to adapt to a team is reduced.
However, conformism is a phenomenon that also carries negative aspects:
A person loses the ability to independently make any decisions and navigate in unusual conditions.
Conformism contributes to the development of totalitarian sects and states, carrying out mass genocides and murders.
There is a development of various prejudices and prejudices against the minority.
Personal conformity reduces the ability to make significant contributions to science or culture, as creative and original thought is eradicated.
Conformism and the state
Conformity is a phenomenon that plays an important role, being one of the mechanisms responsible for making group decisions. It is known that any social group has a degree of tolerance that relates to the behavior of its members. Each of them can deviate from accepted norms, but up to a certain limit, without undermining his position or damaging the sense of common unity.
The state is interested in not losing control over the population, so it has a positive attitude towards this phenomenon. This is why conformism in society is very often cultivated and instilled by the dominant ideology, educational system, media, and propaganda services. States with totalitarian regimes are primarily predisposed to this. Nevertheless, in the “free world”, in which individualism is cultivated, stereotypical thinking and perception is also the norm. Society tries to impose standards and a lifestyle on its members. In the context of globalization, conformism acts as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the common phrase: “This is how the whole world lives.”
CONFORMISM
CONFORMISM
Philosophy: Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M.: Gardariki. Edited by A.A. Ivina. 2004 .
CONFORMISM
(from Late Latin conformis - similar, conformable), moral and political , denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions and T. d.K. means absence own positions, unprincipled and uncritical. following any pattern that has the greatest pressure force (majority opinion, authority, traditions and T. P.). IN modern bourgeois K.'s society in relation to the existing social system and dominant values is implanted by the educational and ideological system. impact; it is a typical feature of the activities of bureaucratic organizations. Unlike K., Socialist. involves the active participation of the individual in the development of group norms, consciousness. the assimilation of collective values and the resulting correlation own behavior with the interests of the team and society.
Conformity should be distinguished from K. (conformal reactions) studied by social psychology. Assimilation of definition group norms, habits and values - necessary for the socialization of the individual and the normal functioning of any social system. But social-psychological. the mechanisms of such assimilation and the degree of autonomy of the individual in relation to the group vary. Sociologists and psychologists have long been interested in such issues as social suggestion, “psychic. infection" and T. n. From the 50s gg. 20 V. subject of intensive experimental psychological. Research has focused on methods of selection and assimilation by an individual of social information and his response to group pressure. It turned out that they depend on a whole set of factors - personal (the degree of suggestibility of an individual, his self-esteem, level of self-esteem, anxiety, intelligence, in the approval of others and T. d.; in children, conformal reactions are higher than in adults, and in women - higher than in men), group (the position of the individual in the group, what it is for him, the degree of cohesion and value-orientation unity of the group), situational (tasks and the subject’s interest in it, his competence, the decision is made publicly, in a narrow circle or in private and T. P.) and general cultural (to what extent is personal independence, judgment and judgment valued in general in a given society? T. d.). Therefore, although high conformity is associated with certain personality type, it cannot be considered independent. personality trait; its relationship with others social-psychological. phenomena such as suggestibility, rigidity (rigidity) attitudes, stereotypical thinking, authoritarian syndrome and etc., requires further research.
Kon I. S., Sociology of personality, M., 1967, With. 83-100; his, Opening “I”, M., 1978; Psychological collective, M., 1979; Andreeva G.M., Social, M., 1980, With. 261 - 67; M s G u i r e W. J., Personality and susceptibility to social influence, in book: Handbook of personality theory and research, ed. E. F. Borgatta and W. W. Lambert, C.M., 1968; Moscovici S., Social influence and social change, L.- N.Y., 1976.
Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editor: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983 .
CONFORMISM
CONFORMISM (from Late Latin confonnis - similar, conformable) - an individual’s uncritical acceptance of the existing order of things, refusal to develop one’s own position, passive adherence to the prevailing way of thinking and type of behavior, general social or group standards and stereotypes. Conformist is developed by the pressure of the social environment on the subject, carried out in an explicit or hidden form against the background of weakened rational-critical thinking of the subject, his self-awareness, oppression of the emotional and volitional manifestations of the personality. At the same time, the conformism inherent in the subject can be quite clearly recognized by him, without causing him to protest. At the same time, the subject is characterized by the desire to justify his conformism by external circumstances, to transfer his actions to the external environment.
Even A. de Tocqueville noted that in conditions of “democratic despotism” (see Equalization), people sacrifice a new part of their personal freedom to the state every day; those who from time to time overthrow thrones and trample upon kings, more and more easily, without offering any resistance, submit to any desire of a public servant. In modern civilization, says G. Marcuse, it is so introjected that individual protest becomes practically impossible; The personal aspect of the individual, where negative thinking is concentrated, the critical power of the mind, gradually narrows and is lost, the result of which is not an adaptation, but a direct relationship between the individual and society as a whole.
Along with the concept of “conformism” in social psychology there is “conformity”, which is understood as either a mechanism for coordinating the opinions and behavior of an individual with the opinions and behavior of the group or its majority, and a manifestation of the socialization of the individual, or one of the aspects of the relationship between the individual and the group, along with nonconformity (negativism) and active self-determination in the group based on a meaningful attitude towards its goals, values and norms.
Conformism and conformity are associated with processes such as suggestion (the assimilation of mental states and formations - ideas, concepts, attitudes, etc., from one subject to another without proper conscious control, comprehension and rational-critical attitude towards them), mental infection (spread emotional state of one subject to another, both in connection with the transfer of meanings and meanings, and independently of it) and imitation (following a pattern), which ensure similarity or uniformity in people’s behavior.
V. M. Bychenkov
New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .
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Adaptability, unprincipledness Dictionary of Russian synonyms. conformism opportunism Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova. 2011… Synonym dictionary
Lat. Conformis, similar to the compliance of an individual to real or imagined group pressure. Conformity is manifested in a change in behavior and attitudes in accordance with the previously unshared position of the majority. Distinguish between external and internal... Dictionary of business terms
- [Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
conformism- a, m. conformisme m. n. lat. conformis similar, similar. Adaptation, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, etc. SIS 1985. In his opinion, Remy de Gourmont is the most serious sin for a writer... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
- (from Late Latin conformis similar, conformable), opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order, prevailing opinions, lack of one’s own position, unprincipled and uncritical following of someone else’s model... Modern encyclopedia
- (from Late Lat. conformis similar conformable), opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order, prevailing opinions, lack of one’s own position, unprincipled and uncritical following of any model that has the greatest... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
CONFORMISM, huh, husband. (book). Adaptability, thoughtless adherence to general opinions and fashion trends. | adj. conformist, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary