Social Group Conformity Analysis

Everyone experiences conformity in their developing lives, which is why it is currently a topic to understand with social psychologists. There have been many studies done to help better our understanding as to why we conform in our society. A study that has helped further the understanding the most was the Stanford Prison experiment by Asch which demonstrated the dedication of conformity that exists being a part of a group (Lilienfeld, Lynn, Namy, & Woolf, 2013). Not all societal group conformity is negative we can see how being a part of a social group can encourage positive actions that may help people improve their personal lives. We can see this effect in educational settings when an instructor assigns students that are not very interested …show more content…
First, I am a transfer student at the University of Colorado- Denver, I am expected by my peers back home to excel in my education and give them hope that they can handle the pressure. I try to fit their expectations of me by studying and working as hard as I can but the difference in educational standards from a community college to a university is nothing like anyone ever warned me about. My friends and family do not see how big of a challenge this is having an education gap between this school and my past educational system. I continue to conform to this idea they all have of me and I hope that I become successful in this task. The second group I try to conform to is also related to college but instead of focusing on my education I try to fit the mold of having a true college experience. Between trying to fit everyone’s idea of being a good student I also find myself trying to enjoy my life in a new city with my friends. It’s extremely difficult to go hiking and have good times with friends when you are also trying to be a very productive and successful student. These two groups in my life often clash with their ideals of how I should be and what actions I should take. This struggle of having a fun and memorable college experience as well as being a good scholar is something every student here at this university faces. The need to be able to conform to both sides of higher educational standards shows how being a part of a group can cause personal stress within. The true hardship of belonging to groups is being able to balance both ideals and being able to accept that you should never conform to just one group but to balance your inner desires to be