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Independence, Conformity, and Civil Liberties: Some Implications from Social Psychological Research
Author(s) -
Hollander Edwin P.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1975.tb00759.x
Subject(s) - conformity , civil liberties , independence (probability theory) , social psychology , socialization , psychology , law , political science , politics , statistics , mathematics
A free society requires independent initiatives as well as regularities of conduct, otherwise it will stagnate. Authentic independence reflects critical judgment in responding to social demands rather than merely rejecting them. A climate of free expression is essential to independence and the perpetuation of civil liberties. Although social psychology has tended to emphasize processes of conformity, as much attention is needed to factors facilitating independence. Six impediments to independence are: risks of dissapproval, lack of perceived alternatives, fear of disrupting the proceeding, absence of shared communication, inability to feel responsibility, and sense of impotence. To overcome these impediments socialization oriented to the critical evaluation of alternatives is necessary, including practice in making judgments and greater rewards for independent initiatives.