Conformity definition in social science. What is conformism? Meaning and interpretation of the word conformism, definition of the term. Application for the purpose of personality characteristics
from the late conformis - similar, consistent) - a moral-political and moral-psychological concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing social order, political regime, etc., as well as the willingness to agree with the prevailing opinions and views, general sentiments common 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, unwillingness to express their own opinion, refusal of excellent responsibility for their actions, blind obedience and following any requirements and instructions, emanating 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 the mentality, tradition). High degree K. on the basis of fanaticism, dogmatism, 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, may be the opinion of the majority, authority, traditions, etc.
K. in many cases meets the objective interest of the state in maintaining control over the population, and often corresponds to the ideas of power structures about reliability. Therefore, K. in society is often implanted and cultivated by the dominant ideology, which serves it with the system of education, propaganda services, and the mass media. First of all, states with totalitarian regimes are prone to this. Conformist in their essence are all forms of collectivist consciousness, which involve the strict subordination of individual behavior to social norms and requirements emanating from the majority. Nevertheless, in the “free world” with its inherent cult of individualism, uniformity of judgments, stereotyped perception and thinking are also the norm. Despite outward pluralism, society imposes on its member the “rules of the game”, consumption standards, and lifestyle. Moreover, in the context of globalization, the spread of common international forms of culture in almost the entire territory the globe K. already acts as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the formula "this is how the whole world lives."
Conformity (conformal reactions) studied by social psychology should be distinguished from conformity. Assimilation defined. group norms, habits and values - a necessary aspect of the socialization of the individual and a prerequisite for the normal functioning of any social system. But the socio-psychological the mechanisms of such assimilation and the degree of autonomy of the individual in relation to the group are different. Sociologists and psychologists have long been interested in such issues as imitation, social suggestion, "psychic. infection ", etc. Since the 50s. 20th century the subject of intensive experimental psychological. studies have become methods of selection and assimilation by the individual of social information and his attitude to group pressure. It turned out that they depend on a whole set of personal factors (the degree of suggestibility of an individual, the stability of his self-assessments, the level of self-esteem, anxiety, intelligence, the need for the approval of others, etc.; 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, its significance for him, the degree of cohesion and value-oriented unity of the group), situational (the content of the task and the interest of the subject in it, his competence, whether the decision is made publicly, in a narrow circle or alone, etc.) and general cultural (to what extent is personal independence, independence of judgment, etc., valued in a given society). Therefore, although high conformity is associated with def. personality type, it cannot be considered an independent personality trait; its relation to other socio-psychological. phenomena such as suggestibility, rigidity (rigidity) of attitudes, stereotyped thinking, authoritarian syndrome, etc., require further research.
Great Definition
Incomplete definition ↓
IN social psychology many specific terms are used, among which conformism can be found. This is a designation used for people who adapt to small social communities, obeying the rules established in them, even if they differ from the original views and principles of a person.
The tendency of a person to change the model of behavior for the rules of the group is called conformity, one of the manifestations of which is the study and assimilation of behavioral rules and norms that determine the process of socialization.
Interpretation of basic terms
Social psychology considers the concept of conformity as a designation of a person's tendency to succumb, obey and accept, under the pressure of a group, other rules that exist in his imagination or in reality. Such a model of personality behavior is accompanied in most cases by changes in the fundamental foundations of a person in accordance with the position imposed by the community, representing the opinion of the majority.
Both conformism and conformity are terms that are directly related to the suggestion of some objects by others, mental infections. emotional nature and imitation. Such criteria are the basis for the similarity and uniform behavior of a group of individuals. Despite their similarity, the terms "conformity" and "conformity" are distinguished by the scale of their distribution.
For the first time, the definition of human conformity appeared thanks to the experiments in the field of social psychology, which were conducted by Solomon Asch in order to study the susceptibility of the individual to the influence of the standards of the majority around him. His research was a clear demonstration that the social component is of great importance for the individual's belief system. These experimental works later became the pretext for other scientific research in personality psychology.
The results of S. Asch's experiments showed that 30% of the population are prone to conformist behavior. That is, 30% of people agree to change their principles if they disagree with the idea of the group. This form of behavior can be developed under the influence of the community. In particular, conformity depends on:
- The number of people in the group (the smaller the group, the higher the tendency to obey the individual).
- Consistency (the probability of conformity is lower if there is at least 1 person in the community who does not want to accept the idea of the majority).
Of the factors that affect the tendency of a person to conformist behavior, the main ones are:
- The age of a person (the older a person is, the lower his susceptibility to conformism).
- Gender (if you believe the statistics, then the representatives of the weaker sex have a more pronounced tendency to conformism).
Conformism, whose importance in society is enormous, but hardly noticeable, has three main aspects that demonstrate weak sides personality and representing this term in a negative context:
2. Changing behavior and focusing on the values of the majority for the sake of achieving a specific goal by the individual.
3. Complete submission under the influence of the opinion of the majority, which leads to the adoption by the individual of the norms and behavioral manners, an example of which the group demonstrates. That is, succumbing to the pressure of community members, a person begins to think, act, and perceive in a completely different way.
Given this, the term “conformist” applied to a person means that he is unprincipled, passive in front of the domination of other people, amenable to the influence of society. The essence of the concept expresses the translation of the word "conformism" (conformis) with Latin- “similar”, “consistent”.
Opposite concept
If conformity and conformity are considered by some to be synonyms, but nonconformity is their antonym. This concept is the opposite of conformism and comes from the merger of two Latin words: non (“not, no”) and conformis.
In a sense, nonconformity can be considered a manifestation of a person's protest against external conditions. A stubborn protester against laws and norms (imaginary or real) can be called a person who deliberately does not want to close the door on which hangs a sign asking him to close it after himself.
The most pronounced nonconformal behavior is characterized by persons who are in adolescence. An example of this can be considered widespread informal cultures and subcultures. Among adults, a manifestation of this form of behavior can be called voluntary accession to political party opponent.
Application for the purpose of personality characteristics
Individuals prone to conformity are present in any community. Their distinctive feature is that they think like everyone else, and think that they should be like the rest. Such behavior can cause excessive demands on other people. Among such individuals there are often very impudent persons, racists, homophobes, etc.
A person's conformity can develop under the influence of a number of factors. These include the possibility of independent decision-making, the social status of the individual, attitude to a certain age category, physiological health, psychological potential, as well as other situational conditions. In this regard, two types of behavior patterns of a person prone to conformity can be distinguished:
- Internal conformity is when an individual reconsiders his life principles, principles, judgments.
- External - is expressed in the comparison of the personality itself with the society surrounding it, while avoiding opposition to it and without changing its own foundations and principles.
Clarifying what conformity is, many are interested in what is the nature of the occurrence of such behavior - innate or acquired? It should be noted that both assumptions are correct. There are individuals who are born with a tendency to conformity. Along with them, there are people who cannot be classified as rebels, but also cannot be called conformists - they are considered adequate, sane individuals. Author: Elena Suvorova
Even ancient philosophers believed that a person, living in society, cannot be independent of it. Throughout his life, the individual has various connections with other people (indirect or direct). He acts on others or is himself affected by them. It often happens that a person can change his mind or behavior under the influence of society, agrees with someone else's point of view. This behavior is explained by the ability to conformism.
Conformism is an adaptation, as well as a passive agreement with the order of things, with the opinions and views that exist in a particular society where the individual is located. This is an unconditional adherence to some models that have the greatest power of pressure (recognized authority, traditions, the opinion of the majority of people, etc.), the lack of one's own point of view on any issues. This term in translation from Latin (conformis) means "consistent, similar".
Conformity Studies
Muzafer Sherif in 1937 studied the emergence of group norms in a laboratory. In a dark room there was a screen on which a point source of light appeared, after which it moved randomly for several seconds and then disappeared. The person who was being tested should have noticed how far the light source had moved, compared with its first appearance. At the beginning of the experiment, the subjects went through it alone and tried to answer the question on their own. However, at the second stage, already three people were in a dark room, and they agreed to give an answer. It was observed that people changed their minds about the average group norm. And in the further stages of the experiment, they sought to continue to adhere to this very norm. So the Sheriff was the first to prove with the help of his experiment that people tend to agree with the opinions of others, often trust the judgments and views of outsiders, to the detriment of their own.
Solomon Ash in 1956 introduced the concept of conformity 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 almost always gave the correct answer one at a time. At the second stage, the whole group got together. And the members of the dummy 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 did listen to the wrong opinion of the group and thus showed conformity.
In the future, Ash and his students organized many more experiments, varying the material presented for perception. Richard Kratschwild, 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, there were people who showed conformity. We can safely say that in each of their experiments, Sheriff, Asch, Kratchvild did not use hard coercion, there were no punishments for opposing the opinion of the group 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 rather difficult, 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 an overestimated one;
Composition of the group: if there are experts in the composition, its members are significant people, and if it contains people belonging to the same social environment, then the conformity increases;
Cohesion: The more cohesive the group, the more power it has over its members;
Having an ally: if a person who defends his opinion or doubts the opinion of others has at least one ally, then the tendency to submit to group pressure decreases;
Public response: a person is more conformist when he has to speak in front of others, and not when he writes 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 conformism
According to S. Asch, conformism is a person's rejection of significant and dear views for him in order to optimize the process of adaptation 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, accepts a certain stereotype of behavior, standard, value orientations of the group, norms, values. The opposite of this is self-directed behavior that is resistant to group pressure. There are four types of behavior towards him:
1. External conformism is a phenomenon when a person accepts the norms and opinions of a group only externally, while internally, at the level of self-awareness, he does not agree with it, but does not speak about it out loud. In general, this is true conformism. This type of behavior is typical for a person adapting to a group.
2. Internal conformism takes place when a person actually assimilates the opinion of the majority and agrees with it completely. Thus, it manifests high level suggestibility of the individual. This type is adaptable to the group.
3. Negativism manifests itself when a person resists group opinion in every way, tries very actively to defend his views, shows his independence, proves, argues, strives to ensure that his opinion eventually becomes the opinion of the whole group, does not hide this desire. This type of behavior indicates that the individual does not want to adapt to the majority, but seeks to adapt them to himself.
4. Non-conformism is the independence of norms, judgments, values, independence, non-susceptibility to group pressure. This type of behavior is typical for 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 conformism 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 psychological feature person.
Conformity and psychology
Conformity in psychology is the susceptibility of the individual to the imagined or real pressure of the group. With such 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 renounces his own opinion. Conformity in psychology is also a person's unconditional agreement with the position of the people around him, regardless of how it is consistent with his own feelings and ideas, accepted norms, moral and ethical rules and logic.
Conformism and sociology
Conformity 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 persuasive argumentation. Conformity in sociology is the adoption by a person of a certain opinion under pressure, "under pressure" of a group or society as a whole. It is explained by fear of any sanctions or unwillingness to be left alone. When studying conformist behavior in a group, it turned out that about one third of all people tend to exhibit such behavior, that is, they subordinate their behavior to the opinion of the whole group.
Conformity and philosophy
Conformism in philosophy is a widespread form of behavior in modern society, its protective form. Unlike collectivism, which involves the participation of the individual in the development of group decisions, the conscious assimilation of the values of the collective, the correlation of one’s behavior with the interests of the whole society, the collective, 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 most pressure.
The person who uses it fully assimilates the type of personality that is offered to him, ceases to be himself, completely becomes like others, as he is expected to be seen by the rest of the group or society as a whole. 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, which is an adaptive (adaptive) adherence to the norms that were previously accepted in a society or group. Usually people are not always inclined to follow social norms, only because they accept the values that underlie these very norms (law-abiding). Most often, some individuals, and sometimes even the majority, follow them because of pragmatic expediency or because of the fear of negative sanctions being applied to them (this is conformism in a negative, narrow sense).
Thus, conformism in politics is a way of political opportunism as a passive acceptance of the existing order, as a blind imitation of the stereotypes of political behavior that prevails in society, as the absence of one's own positions.
social conformism
Social conformism is an uncritical perception and adherence to the opinions that prevail in society, mass standards, stereotypes, authoritative principles, traditions and attitudes. A person does not try to resist the prevailing tendencies, even though he does not internally accept them. The individual perceives the economic and socio-political reality without any criticism, does not express any desire to express his own opinion. Social conformism is a refusal to bear personal responsibility for committed actions, blind obedience and following the instructions and requirements 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
Exist positive features conformity, among which are the following:
Strong team cohesion, especially in crisis situations, it helps to cope with them more successfully.
Organization of joint activities becomes easier.
The time of adaptation of a new person in the 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.
Conformity contributes to the development of totalitarian sects and states, the conduct of mass genocides and murders.
There is a development of various prejudices and prejudices against the minority.
Personal conformism reduces the ability to make a significant contribution to science or culture, as creative and original thought is eradicated.
Conformism and the state
Conformism is a phenomenon that plays an important role, being one of the mechanisms responsible for making a group decision. It is known that any social group has a degree of tolerance, which refers to the behavior of its members. Each of them can deviate from the accepted norms, but up to a certain limit, while his position is not undermined, and the feeling of common unity is not damaged.
The state is interested in not losing control over the population, so it has a positive attitude towards this phenomenon. That is why conformism in society is very often cultivated and propagated by the dominant ideology, the education system, the media, and propaganda services. States with totalitarian regimes are predisposed to this in the first place. Nevertheless, in the "free world", in which individualism is cultivated, stereotyping of thinking and perception is also the norm. Society tries to impose standards, a lifestyle on its member. In the context of globalization, conformism acts as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the common phrase: "This is how the whole world lives."
The essence of the concept of "conformism"
Definition 1
Conformism from a scientific point of view is following what is already accepted by others or the authorities, as well as the attitude to be like everyone else. People who are committed to conformal thinking do not strive to stand out from the crowd: they want to be like everyone else, not to be different from others, adopt their habits, basic features.
special role in this case given to fashion: if some style of clothing or wearing accessories comes into fashion, then a conforming person will strive to follow fashion, not be different from the rest, not go beyond what is fashionable and relevant at a particular period of time.
Conformity is a concept that defines the propensity of a person or a wider group of people to conformity. They deliberately change their views and positions in accordance with those that prevail in a particular period of time in a given society, or are significant to those around them, which, to one degree or another, can influence the consciousness and views of people.
Concerning conforming behavior, then this is such behavior in which a person follows the expectations of others, while forgetting about his own needs and interests, ignoring his own ideas, opinions and goals.
Definition 2
A conformist is a person who is characterized by conformity. It is difficult to call him an individual, because he is more often guided by the opinions and views of others, cannot criticize them and put forward his point of view, not to mention defending it.
Conformity can be of several types:
- External conformism;
- Internal conformism;
- Passive conformism;
- Active conformism;
- Conscious conformism;
- Mindless conformism.
As a rule, despite the presence of such a typology, the authors agree that conformism is predominantly thoughtless conciliation, so it cannot be voluntary, conscious. People often do not even think about the fact that they give up their own opinion for the benefit of someone else: they simply agree with someone else's opinion. It is also easy for him to impose a point of view if the majority in the group adheres to it. At the same time, a person may not agree with this opinion inside, but is obliged to accept it, because he cannot offer something new and defend it.
The nature of conformism
Some researchers in this field are wondering what is the nature of conformity. The study of this phenomenon allowed us to say that the basis of the conformal behavior of a person or wider social groups is the fear of being different from the rest. If you make an attempt to distinguish yourself, then you can get a punishment for this according to the principle "you stick out - it will be worse."
Remark 1
As a rule, groups react quite negatively towards those people who try to resist it. People who actively go beyond patterns and stereotyped thinking are subject to pressure and aggression from conformists - the so-called "silent majority".
It should also be noted that conforming behavior and conciliation can sometimes become a manifestation of conscious loyalty to those requirements that are presented from outside.
It is easier for people to agree with something than to try to resist these processes and phenomena, because it is more convenient and easier for them to live this way. “You can see better from above” - this is the opinion of those who accept the rules of the game from the side of higher authorities. There is an opinion that they are much more educated and competent in certain issues, so their opinion, proposals and, accordingly, decisions are exactly what the majority needs.
Such conscious loyalty is sometimes a wise decision, but more often than not, people simply show their fear and laziness to think about decisions and actions on their own. Therefore, their life turns into a familiar standard, their behavior also obeys the routine. You can completely remove responsibility from yourself, because the decision is not made by you yourself, but by someone else for you.
Remark 2
Thus, the main reasons for conforming behavior are the fear of taking responsibility and banal laziness in thinking about possible solutions to the tasks set. Conformism can also be both congenital and acquired throughout life.
Congenital conformism depends on the personal characteristics of a person, his intellectual and physical abilities. Acquired conformism is one that is developed over the course of life. It forces a person to adapt to external circumstances, makes him obey the conditions in which he lives, as well as the people who make the most significant decisions.
The level of personality conformity also depends on many factors. For example, the larger the number of participants in the group, the higher the feeling of unanimity in it, which is quite difficult to resist. If a person does something that goes beyond the expectations of the group members, then he can be punished and even expelled from it. If the group tends to be aggressive towards those who oppose it, then conformism also rises: no one wants to get themselves into trouble or be expelled, so they are forced to submit to the conditions and accept someone else's point of view for the sake of their own peace of mind. Conformity for many is the way to salvation, and for many it is a real torture, because a person has to give up his interests and opinions. This is the phenomenality of conformism as a social and psychological phenomenon.
Personality also plays a big role. For example, women, teenagers or children are more conforming. It also affects people with low social status who do not have outstanding intellectual abilities. They are anxious, easily suggestible, so it is easier to convince them of something, to force them to accept someone else's point of view. some of them simply do not have their own position, and they are forced to obey circumstances and superior people. If a person is attached to a group, he will also be more conforming than people who can live outside the group, do not depend on its settings and rules inside.
1) Conformism- (from lat. con-formis - similar, similar) - acceptance of the existing order of things, generally accepted norms or requirements of the authorities despite their improper nature. The gospel proposes, on the one hand, to "leave the world" and renounce conformity 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 odds with this spirit of devaluation of all values and trampling of all holy things, but to enter into a spiritual struggle with it. Spirituality, noted P. Tillich, if it is not capable of clearing its own tradition from various delusions in constructive social criticism and self-criticism, will not win in the fight against the onslaught of modern quasi-religions.
2) Conformism- (from late Latin conformis - similar, consistent) - a moral-political and moral-psychological concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing social order, political regime, etc., as well as the willingness to agree with the prevailing opinions and views, general sentiments prevalent 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, unwillingness to express their own opinion, refusal of excellent responsibility for their actions, blind obedience and following any requirements and instructions, emanating 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 the mentality, 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, may be the opinion of the majority, authority, traditions, etc. K. in many cases meets the objective interest of the state in maintaining control over the population, and often corresponds to the ideas of power structures about reliability. Therefore, K. in society is often implanted and cultivated by the dominant ideology, which serves it with the system of education, propaganda services, and the mass media. First of all, states with totalitarian regimes are prone to this. Conformist in their essence are all forms of collectivist consciousness, which involve the strict subordination of individual behavior to social norms and requirements emanating from the majority. Nevertheless, in the “free world” with its inherent cult of individualism, uniformity of judgments, stereotyped perception and thinking are also the norm. Despite outward pluralism, society imposes on its member the “rules of the game”, consumption standards, and lifestyle. Moreover, in the context of globalization, the spread of unified international forms of culture throughout almost the entire territory of the globe, K. already acts as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the formula “this is how the whole world lives.”
3) Conformity- - conciliation; the philosophical doctrine of smoothing conflicts up to the loss of their own fundamental positions of the opposing, conflicting parties.
4) Conformity- (lat. conformis - more consonant) - a socio-psychological orientation that does not develop as a result independent decisions(“whether full-fledged participation in solving) social and moral problems, but passive, adaptive acceptance of the ready-made order of things. The conformist does not develop his own moral position when solving objectively determined problems, but adapts to those standards and canons of behavior and consciousness, which have the greatest pressure on him, that is, they are imposed on him explicitly (by coercion) or implicitly (by suggestion, through tradition or other way). For pre-capitalist formations, a routine, inert K- is characteristic, which is “an enormous force of habit and inertia ...” (Lenin V.I., vol. 39, p. 15). Modern capitalism is more characteristic of k. agile, “flexible”, following the conjuncture. In ideology, k. means replacing the worldview Konueir-Chiayi with its epigone imitations, · the transformation of the most accessible formulas into an empty ritual. At the same time, K reveals himself by trying to lay down absolute infallibility for his authority. In ethics, K. is tantamount to a person's refusal of the sovereignty of his moral reason, of his own choice and the imposition of responsibility on external factors (things, social institutions, etc.), therefore. I give up on myself as a person. The moral irresponsibility of any conformist is manifested both in the dogmatic adherence to the standard of action or the stereotype of thought, and in the orientation to the dictates of changeable fashion. In this respect, co-ordination differs from collectivism, from the solidarity actively worked out by the participants in the common cause and the conscious discipline that follows from it.
5) Conformity- (lat. conformis - similar, consistent) - a concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, dominant opinions, etc. In contrast to collectivism, which involves 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 the society is impossible without overcoming the conscience. We need such people, Lenin said, for whom “we can guarantee that they will not take a word on faith, they will not say a word against their conscience”, they will not be afraid of “no struggle to achieve a seriously set goal” (T. 45, pp. 391-392). Moral-political conformity 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 individual's socialization (the acquisition of qualities by him, without which his life activity 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 (intelligence level, degree of suggestibility, stability of self-esteem and self-esteem, the need for the approval of others, etc.), microsocial (the position of the individual in the group, its significance length of it, the degree of cohesion and structure of the group), situational (the content of the task and the interest of the individual 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 that exist in the general -ve for the development of independence, responsibility of the individual, etc.).
conformism
(from lat. con-formis - similar, similar) - acceptance of the existing order of things, generally accepted norms or requirements of the authorities despite their improper nature. The gospel proposes, on the one hand, to "leave the world" and renounce conformity 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 odds with this spirit of devaluation of all values and trampling of all holy things, but to enter into a spiritual struggle with it. Spirituality, noted P. Tillich, if it is not capable of clearing its own tradition from various delusions in constructive social criticism and self-criticism, will not win in the fight against the onslaught of modern quasi-religions.
(from late Latin conformis - similar, consistent) - a moral-political and moral-psychological concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing social order, political regime, etc., as well as the willingness to agree with the prevailing opinions and views, general sentiments, common 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, unwillingness to express their own opinion, refusal of excellent responsibility for their actions, blind obedience and following any requirements and instructions, emanating 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 the mentality, 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, may be the opinion of the majority, authority, traditions, etc. K. in many cases meets the objective interest of the state in maintaining control over the population, and often corresponds to the ideas of power structures about reliability. Therefore, K. in society is often implanted and cultivated by the dominant ideology, which serves it with the system of education, propaganda services, and the mass media. First of all, states with totalitarian regimes are prone to this. Conformist in their essence are all forms of collectivist consciousness, which involve the strict subordination of individual behavior to social norms and requirements emanating from the majority. Nevertheless, in the “free world” with its inherent cult of individualism, uniformity of judgments, stereotyped perception and thinking are also the norm. Despite outward pluralism, society imposes on its member the “rules of the game”, consumption standards, and lifestyle. Moreover, in the context of globalization, the spread of unified international forms of culture throughout almost the entire territory of the globe, K. already acts as a stereotype of consciousness, embodied in the formula “this is how the whole world lives.”
agreement; the philosophical doctrine of smoothing conflicts up to the loss of their own fundamental positions of the opposing, conflicting parties.
(lat. conformis - more consonant) - a socio-psychological orientation that develops not as a result of independent decisions (“whether full participation in solving) social and moral problems, but a passive, adaptive acceptance of a ready-made order of things. The conformist does not develop his own moral position when solving objectively determined problems, but adapts to those standards and canons of behavior and consciousness, which have the greatest pressure on him, that is, they are imposed on him explicitly (by coercion) or implicitly (by suggestion, through tradition or other way). For pre-capitalist formations, a routine, inert K- is characteristic, which is “an enormous force of habit and inertia ...” (Lenin V.I., vol. 39, p. 15). Modern capitalism is more characteristic of k. agile, “flexible”, following the conjuncture. In ideology, k. means replacing the worldview Konueir-Chiayi with its epigone imitations, · the transformation of the most accessible formulas into an empty ritual. At the same time, K reveals himself by trying to lay down absolute infallibility for his authority. In ethics, K. is tantamount to a person's refusal of the sovereignty of his moral reason, of his own choice and the imposition of responsibility on external factors (things, social institutions, etc.), therefore. I give up on myself as a person. The moral irresponsibility of any conformist is manifested both in the dogmatic adherence to the standard of action or the stereotype of thought, and in the orientation to the dictates of changeable fashion. In this respect, co-ordination differs from collectivism, from the solidarity actively worked out by the participants in the common cause and the conscious discipline that follows from it.
(lat. conformis - similar, consistent) - a concept denoting opportunism, passive acceptance of the existing order of things, prevailing opinions, etc. In contrast to collectivism, which involves 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 the society is impossible without overcoming the conscience. We need such people, Lenin said, for whom “we can guarantee that they will not take a word on faith, they will not say a word against their conscience”, they will not be afraid of “no struggle to achieve a seriously set goal” (T. 45, pp. 391-392). Moral-political conformity 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 individual's socialization (the acquisition of qualities by him, without which his life activity 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 (intelligence level, degree of suggestibility, stability of self-esteem and self-esteem, the need for the approval of others, etc.), microsocial (the position of the individual in the group, its significance length of it, the degree of cohesion and structure of the group), situational (the content of the task and the interest of the individual 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 that exist in the general -ve for the development of independence, responsibility of the individual, etc.).
