Defiance and Conformity free essay sample

Defiance, conformity and social control are some subjects not everybody understands. Why do teens love to disobey authority figures? Why do kids conform in groups? Why do kids feel the need to partake in fads and who’s truly responsible for molding our society’s personality? Through psychological, anthropological and sociological examination, these perplexing questions can be answered. Learning to understand your teen is the best thing you can do, and in the end, it’s only going to leave your teen’s emotions, thoughts, and ideas amalgamated. Defiance is just a part of life for some people. Some people like to feel like they are standing up for something they believe in, that they are rebelling against the system – why? The subject of Defiance can be explained through a psychological scrutiny. Observing teenagers makes you wonder how the innocence and purity of a young little boy could ever turn into the effrontery and boldness of a 16 year old. It’s all a part of life, and comprehending that is difficult. Defiant children and teens think of themselves as equal to adults, (Defiant Children). This leads them to unrealistic expectations and inevitable conflict with parents and teachers. Defiance in media, at school and in other places ultimately leads to change in society. Defiance can be seen as negative to the common eye, but it actually often leads to things being done a different way, and people stretching boundaries. It is truly survival of the fittest being seen through teens thinking outside of the box and changing society. When a teen feels the need to rebel, he might stumble upon a way of doing something that no one else has done before, and it might work perfectly for him. When kids simply follow the leader, things cannot advance. If a teen is taught at an early age to be a sheep rather than a herder, then he will most likely not better his society as much as a smart, rebel will. Defiance can also have a negative effect on society – it all depends on the intentions. If a teen has good intentions for what he does, he will follow his heart. When a teen just wants to do bad when rebelling with negativity, he is most likely doing what he is doing for attention from someone. Attention is a big factor in defiance. The teen wants to be seen and understood, and he wants to find a way to make people understand this. Defiance comes mostly out of arrogance, (Empowering Parents. ) A stubborn child will think that his way of doing things is just fine, and no help is required; this is a sign that the child feels like he is being controlled, or tied down. A teen’s confidence on the outside may seem enlightening, but inside the mind of a young adult, is a very confused person trying to find out what is best for him in life – a person trying to put meaning to the esoteric nonsense that is existence. You can’t change this, but you can help them through it. Being calm, assertive and non-controlling is the best way to contain your child’s defiance. Discipline is obviously important, and if the act of wrong is serious enough, a punishment must be ensued. But listen to them, understand them, and reason with them, rather than degrade them with a childish punishment – punish them as if they are an adult. The point is to help them contain their defiance and hormones into a safe medium like art, sports or schooling. But a teen’s young mind is dynamical, so don’t push anything onto them; let them be whoever they may want to be. Conformity is another aspect of puberty that is normal. Conformity is acting accordingly to certain accepted standards, (Conformity, Basic Concepts of Sociology Guide. ) It is easy to tell whether a teen’s feelings about something are genuine, or just regurgitated from a person they look up to. Conformity takes a sociology lesson or two to understand. Kids love to feel accepted. It is no question that the feeling of being an outcast is one of the worst feelings in the world as a teenager. Not just teenagers, but humans in general need to socially interact with friends and peers in order to not mentally drown in contained thoughts and emotions, and turn psychotic. A jail’s harshest punishment is to separate an inmate from the rest of the jail, and put them in a confined secluded area without any interaction with people this is no coincidence. It’s natural to feel alone sometimes. It’s natural to want to reach out and connect with people. When a teen find’s someone or something they can connect with, they find security in that. These standards are set by leaders, whether they are at school or on the television. What being â€Å"cool† is changes throughout the decades, so one could say that change is the only thing that will always be cool. In order to think something is cool, an influence is required. Teens are influenced by the media’s figures such as musicians, actors, and athletes. The reason kids conform is because they see confidence and security in a person’s actions, and are manipulated by the thought of becoming confident and secure like them, (Teenage Anxieties. The bulk of human behavior is of a conforming nature as people accept and internalize the values of their culture or subculture. The reality is; teens strive for a stable identity. This is why they strive to conform. Most likely, it is just a phase, and once they figure out who they are, they will get out of it. Again, understanding this is key – talking and listening to a teenager can be very helpful in determin ing what their real intentions are. The teenage mind is young, fragile and easily manipulated. It’s not hard to see, and social control is EVERYWHERE. If you think deep enough, the reality in some things is appalling. A commercial about Hot Wheels may seem innocent but underneath the pseudo-normality is a harsh truth; these companies have people who receive pay and earn a living by studying kid’s patterns, and manipulating them to buy a product. Disgusting to say the least, but it’s normal, right? Social control is the government’s attempt to guide people down the road that they choose. Anthropology ties into this because you have to understand the evolution of man today. In order to guide people in the direction you want them to go, you must first understand how people have evolved in the past and why. Internal social control is the process of internalizing the norms of society and accepting them as valid External social control is an attempt to bring people who have stepped out of the lines, back into line, (The Government and Social Control. ) Teens are expected to walk down the path chosen for them, but to elicit your happiness in life, you must find whatever you love to do and do it. Who is to say what is normal and what is not? Thinking differently is not a crime, in fact, it is essential in the development of our species and it’s evolution. The main goal of socialization is to learn and understand how to communicate and act accordingly when around a person or group. Creativity can inspire new and more advanced ways of doing things. As humans, our improvements pile on top of each other – we make enhancements on previous enhancements and evolve in basically everything that we do. When a newer, easier way of doing something has been discovered, it is natural as humans that we want to use it. Social control often sets a standard on what is proper. But deviating from the social norm can benefit you and others around you. It is truly beneficial for all of society, as a whole. Understanding and finding yourself is what is most important in life. Social control results in the conformity and deviancy paradox; when teens rebel to fit in. Trying to manipulate the path of society holds an intense irony in that it just confuses people; on the contrary, it does NOT provide structure. The key in understanding a teen going through puberty is talking to them and listening to them. Phases are phases, and they will pass. The most important thing to remember when trying to understand a kid going through puberty is that they are in their own rapidly changing aura, and it’s healthy to experience conformity, defiance and to be influenced by social control. In the end, it will only be knowledge, and knowledge brings you closer to understanding who you truly are. Teens seek a stable identity, and it’s up to their guardians to help them retrieve one. A Stable Identity An essay pertaining to the psychological, sociological and anthropological aspects of society’s teens and their journey through puberty Written by Michael Bergman Mrs. Bitner’s Class November 2nd 2012 Works Cited Conformity, Basic Concepts of Sociology Guide. Free Sociology Notes,Sociology Definition,Sociology Study Guide,Meaning Scope Of Sociology,Define Sociology Theory,Define Sociology,Introduction To Sociology,Sociology Study,Free Sociology Notes,Sociology Concept,Online Sociology Course. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. sociologyguide. com/basic-concepts/Conformity. phpgt;. Deviance and Social Control. University of Missouri-St. Louis. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. umsl. edu/~keelr/200/socialcontrol. htmgt;. Earlier, later puberty may trigger aggression in boys, researchers find. Science Daily: News amp; Articles in Science, Health, Environment amp; Technology. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2010/05/100503111750. htmgt;. Rutherford, Jesse Jayne, Kathleen Nickerson, and Ph. D.. ODD Demographics Defiant Children. Netplaces. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. netplaces. com/defiant-children /oppositional-defiance-disorder-odd/odd-demographics. htmgt;. TruthMove Social Control. TruthMove Home. N. p. , n. d. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. truthmove. org/content/social-control/gt;. MLA formatting by BibMe. org.