Conformity to different norms starts when children are young, but the quality and accuracy of the conformity and imitation increases with age. For instance, five-year-olds were found to display more fidelity, over imitation, as well as success as compared to three-year-olds. Children become competent in undertaking what they have learned (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). Conforming students tend to be less successful in doing what they are supposed to do. The researchers argue that when kids depart from the socially structured behavior, it is due to them learning how to use some individual learning and do not need to conform to anyone. The conclusions arrived at by the researchers from the study is that for a society to function effectively, then we must conform to a consensus. This argument can be used to explain some of the instances where adolescents learn from society and conform to those behaviors considered acceptable in society.
However, conformity should not be blind as some negative consequences might arise if one is not able to decide on whether to follow or not. The decision to adapt or not becomes evident and important as one grows older and mainly becomes evident during adolescence. There is a need to consider how the cognitive, as well as social factors, affect the concept of conformity to different social norms (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). One of the most interesting things is that within the western culture, children are always willing to deviate from what is considered consensus when they feel that the deviation allow them to have a larger reward. Children tend to practice consensus when they feel that the consensus is ambiguous. One can understand that even children who are young can make their decisions on whether they should follow the crowd or not. This is more pronounced when the children reach adolescence.
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One of the areas where conformity is well practiced and important is in regards to the traditional masculine norms that characterize different cultures across the globe. Young men are taught to endure different challenges and always conform to the idea of always winning. For instance, male athletes are less likely to report cases of concussions as compared to their female counterparts (Kroshus, Baugh, Stein, Austin, and Calzo, 2017). This is based on the idea that most male athletes tend to conform to the traditional masculine norms where they are supposed to think about winning. Much of these norms on how a man should behave are learnt when the child is young from those males who surround him (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). Focusing on winning means that taking risks and playing when injured or in pain are valued in a different sports environment. Most male athletes tend to be risk takers, self-reliance, and focusing on winning when they are playing.
Studies have shown that female athletes were more likely to intend to report symptoms of a future concussion. Conformity may determine some of the behaviors that different people have in the society (Kroshus et al., 2017). On concussion reporting, it was evident that those who conformed less to the traditional masculine norms were more likely to report any symptoms associated with concussion (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). What emerges is that the idea to continue playing post-injury is based on the level of conformity that the individual has to the concept of winning. The concept of endurance and conformation to the idea of winning is different based on gender. Females tend to experience an intersection between winning and other values that include sportsmanship, the idea of being a good teammate, as well as improvement.
Subsequently, the concept of male athletes being unwilling to report any symptoms associated with a concussion should be viewed through the lens of a triadic reciprocal relationship that occurs between the athlete, the environment, as well as the environment (Kroshus et al., 2017). This information can be used in providing essential directions for interventions. Some of the behaviors that adolescent athletes engage in are dangerous, and some interventions are needed to ensure that they do not conform to norms that can harm them. This is in contrast to the findings that children or adolescents can make decisions on when to follow the crowd or not. The risk imposed by concussions is huge, and the expectation is that most of the athletes would report any symptoms that pose a challenge to them. Conformity and over imitation are more pronounced in those situations that provide a bigger reward than others do (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). However, when it comes to sports, the players tend to conform to behaviors that are not in the best interests of their health. The expectation is that the athletes would not conform to the winning desire after injury due to the effect that the symptoms may have on their health.
Conformity to masculinity is a concept that also differs across different cultures, which means that children tend to learn from the environment especially on body image. All countries or cultures have some level of conformity to masculinity. This can be explained in line with the argument that children tend to imitate what they view in perceptual occurrences and hence have a specific view regarding masculinity and body image (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). In a study, Swedish men were less likely to conform to the issues that pertain to masculinity and body image (Gattario et al., 2015). America had the highest conformity rate among all the countries. The social-cultural aspects in a country influence the conformity that men have towards masculinity and body image. The argument is that Swedish men do not take much consideration of becoming lean and attaining muscular bodies due to the notion that they take more responsibility in childcare as well as housework. This view holds that people usually decide on what to conform depending on their interests (Flynn, Turner, & Giraldeau, 2018). Swedish men choose to conform to alternative masculinities that do not emphasize body image.
The argument that Swedish men do not focus or conform to body image can be explained based on the social aspects that characterize society. For instance, it has been proven that Swedish men may be already close to leanness based on the view that they are fond of exercising on a frequent basis. The same case applies to Americans, which is one of the countries that have the highest body dissatisfaction in the world. The conformity to masculinity in the country explains the reason why most of the men are concerned with their body conformation. When expounding the concept of male conformity and masculinity norms, those who have minimal conformity to these norms tend to act in a more pro-social way concerning aggression (Berke, Sloan, Parrott, & Zeichner, 2012). These findings can be used in determining some of the things that pertain to gender equality and what can be done to eradicate inequality. British men on one side tend to conform to the violent aspect of masculinity as compared to the other aspects such as body image. The conformity is more among those who tend to focus more on masculinity norms and body image.
Conformity is not only in males but also in females. There is a huge discourse between the conformity of female athletes to the gender norms and the impact it has on the body image. Sports usually expose the athletes to some specific attributes that are associated with the traditional masculine traits (Steinfeldt, Zakrajsek, Carter, & Steinfeldt, 2011). These traits include individualism, competitiveness, as well as power. Research shows that although the female athletes participate in sports based on the standards that pertain to male athleticism, they have to manage some of the societal expectations that they must ensure that they conform to traditional femininity (Steinfeldt et al., 2011). The authors conducted a study that compared the conformity between female athletes and those who are not athletes. What emerges is that there is no difference between the two groups regarding conformity towards feminine norms. However, female athletes tend to conform to some of the masculine norms such as winning and taking risks. This was not evident in those females who do not take part in sports. However, taking part in sports die not to predict anybody esteems in women. Women tend to gain body esteem from self-confidence and social support that they get from their communities. For instance, being allowed to share one’s body ideals such as strength is one of the ways that enable women to succeed in sports and continue taking part in it. In some cases, overweight issues make women negative body esteem. The implication is that the environment that one stays in and interacts with has an impact on the norms relating to conformity.
Overall, conformity is based on what people learn from the environment and can start when one is young. The accuracy of the conformity and the level of imitation increase as one age and interact with other people. Conformity to masculinity and femininity determines some of the behaviors that affect both male and females. For example, taking part in sports requires students to conform to some of the elements of masculinity such a taking risks and thinking of winning. However, not all female athletes conform to feminist’s norms in the society. Those who conform less to masculinity norms are also less likely to be involved in aggressive behaviors in the society, especially towards women. Social aspects such as gender equality and roles and the extent to which men take up feminine roles determine the level of conformity towards masculine norms such as body image. This explains why Swedish men tend to focus less on leanness and masculinity as compared to their counterparts in the US and Australia. Those who view their bodies negatively are more likely to take part in activities that will give them a better body image.
References
Berke, D. S., Sloan, C. A., Parrott, D., & Zeichner, A. (2012). Effects of female gender role and gender norm conformity on aggression in men: Does positive masculinity reduce the risk? Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 13(4), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026525
Flynn, E., Turner, C., & Giraldeau, L.-A. (2018). Follow (or don’t follow) the crowd: Young children’s conformity is influenced by norm domain and age. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 167, 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.10.014
Gattario, K. H., Frisén, A., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Ricciardelli, L. A., Diedrichs, P. C., Yager, Z., Smolak, L. (2015). How is men’s conformity to masculine norms related to their body image? Masculinity and muscularity across Western countries. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 16(3), 337–347. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038494
Kroshus, E., Baugh, C. M., Stein, C. J., Austin, S. B., & Calzo, J. P. (2017). Concussion reporting, sex, and conformity to traditional gender norms in young adults. Journal of Adolescence, 54, 110–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.11
Steinfeldt, J. A., Zakrajsek, R., Carter, H., & Steinfeldt, M. C. (2011). Conformity to gender norms among female student-athletes: Implications for body image. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 12(4), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023634
