conformity is a fact of life for the vast majority of humankind. She has been teaching social science courses both in the undergrad and graduate levels. However, individuality without some amount of conformity is useless. An adults brain is developed enough to understand and remember multiple topics in a day, but doesnt have to, whereas a student has to remember many topics, in a wide range of subject areas, but is not mentally developed well enough to do so. And who is doing most of the talking? Conformity versus individuality of students has been a huge debate among educationists, parents and child psychologists. Conformity is the tendency for an individual to align their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of the people around them. See disclaimer. As said in the article The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools students need to become thinkers not test takers. They should be able to take more classes they are interested in rather than classes they need just for graduation required credits. As a result of a later start time, both students and teachers will come home to families late into night. Instead of focusing on students aptitudes and expanding on them, the Board of Education confines everyone into a box. Each class would still have the same amount of time, but would be twice, every other day. And why do we do things we dont really want to do? Individual inspires change, pushes everyone forward and allows society to improve. Regardless of societys views of their union, Janie denies all their criticism and lives happily. In their book I wouldnt always be their ideal student that is depending on the classes they would teach me. This would help with memory, and thorough comprehension of the information. If school bagan at least an hour later students would get more sleep, their academic scores would improve, and students would have time to eat a healthy breakfast. On the other side, some professors try to force students into a nine hour school day. Imagine staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish the homework that had been accumulated during the day, only to have to get up a few hours later to catch the school bus, knowing that succeeding in class the next day would be short of a miracle. For instance, twin studies and adoption studies have been conducted to help identify what makes people different from each other. Within the realm of education, there are numerous ideologies that may be utilized to construct a curriculum. Although I believe that individuality is certainly more powerful than conformity, I noticed that many ignore the necessity of harmony between individualism and conformity. It is exceedingly difficult for teenagers to focus for eight hours at a time, let alone ten. Some people argue that these times save money and dont interrupt after school programs. The bystander effectin which the presence of others discourages individuals from intervening in a situationis likely influenced, in part, by conformity: If we see others choosing to do nothing, were more likely to do nothing ourselves. Countless students all over the US struggle to keep their eyes open throughout the day because school classes start too early in the morning. Several of these ideologies are more prominent than others. A desire for social harmony is another major driver of conformity. They need to be more motivated to go to school. Matthew Legge on November 3, 2022 in Are We Done Fighting? In most cases what school therapist diagnoses as attention deficient disorder, are no more than normal, hyperactive teens who are trying to express their individuality. height: 22px; The more restrictive the uniforms, the more negatively they may impact individual expression. But despite its evolutionary roots, conformity is not universally beneficial and can prove dangerouseither to individuals or to the group itselfwhen its resulting norms and practices are never questioned. A choice lay before each new comer, to join the conformity in hopes of surviving the mercy lacking walls of the school, A rare few may even stand up and push themselves ou Conformity Vs . Regarding personality, psychologists who focus on human individuality look into the explanations and processes of patterns of behavior and experience. endstream endobj startxref A society needs people who are willing to draw their own conclusions in order to improve their life as well as those who live in the community. To be on the safer side, get a second opinion, preferably from a private child psychologist or therapist before giving medicines to your teens. Mass public schooling has created a divide amongst the foundation of whether to prioritize individuality or conformity. From a political perspective, uniform detractors point to the right of individuals to free expression. Conformity can take the form of overt social pressure or subtler, unconscious influence. During school, students follow rigid schedules and high . You might choose an issue such as dress codes, mandatory classes, or the structure of the school day. Janie finds out that her second attempt to marriage does not give what she desires, and it is only in her condemned marriage that Janie finally achieves her true love and happiness. This then poses the question; to what degree should schools encourage conformity versus individuality? And when they do, what can you do about it? The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. The common reason students don't like school uniforms is they go against their ability to express individuality through clothing styles. its common to assume that if most other people are doing something, it must be correct. Not enough sleep isnt healthy. A later start time does not guarantee more sleep for students as students may just go to bed even later usual. Education is defined in the Benokraitis Soc 3, Third Ed. People learn social skills at an early age by observing and copying the behavior of others. In school, they teach us the same four subjects each year: English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Obedience requires a social hierarchyin which lower-ranking people comply with demands from authority figures above them. Schools should adopt a more individualistic approach towards the classes students must take, and less of one concerned solely on test performance, because it would benefit students upon graduation by allowing them to pursue studies that interest them, and also benefit the school, John Taylor Gatto, a former school teacher, of Harpers Magazine, wrote We have been taught (that is, schooled) in this country to think of success as synonymous with, or at least dependent upon, schooling (Gatto). One reason is called social proof; its common to assume that if most other people are doing something, it must be correct. The public schooling system in America edifies the paramount of individualism. A schedule is a timetable of class meetings that should help to achieve the purposes of a school (Deighton, 1971). The following discussions further delve into their differences. This concept is concerned with the forces which help us develop into distinct beings. Now, what are the goals of a true education? According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers require around 8 to 10 hours of sleep in order to function at full capacity; otherwise, they will not be productive in school (National Sleep Foundation n.d.). The goals of a true education are learning how to work for yourself by yourself, to grow and adapt as a whole person, to build up your character, and to have a desire to learn more. The three types of conformity according to Kelman are compliance (temporary behavioral change to receive a favorable reaction), identification (to be a member of a certain group but may stop when the individual leaves), and internalization (intrinsically motivated and relatively permanent behavioral change). Not so many years ago, school was a main part of my life, and the school days structure and length affected my social life and ability to study. The evidence and explanations used are appropriate and convincing. Groupthink refers to a specific kind of dysfunctional decision-making in which a group of well-intentioned people make irrational decisions. On the outside, Janie is restricted to the general store or the house, but in those times she would constantly question why she was not able to behave like a man. %%EOF Meanwhile, the best things is to be focus in school so you can have a good career. There are a lot of parents and professors concerned that it is hard for children to go to school early in the morning and stay there the whole day. Every human being has a certain level of individuality and its loss can significantly injure a society. Conformity In Middle School. The story highlights the dangers of trying to force equality by limiting the abilities of those who excel in various areas. ideally be those that are somewhat controversial within the school and may include: body . Explains that conformity is the occurrence of people yielding to social pressures as a result of pressure. That being said, why are we training future writers to solve complex mathematical problems that they will never encounter outside the classroom, or future engineers how to write 20 page dissertations on why Rome fell? Regardless of its form, it can be a powerful forceable to change how large groups behave, to start or end conflicts, and much more. Although, America makes it indispensable for students to take compulsory classes as a way of conformity it still sanctions the students to express their individualism with our dressing, our cull of electives and extra Co-curricular activities. Hence, these concepts are often associated with psychology, sociology, and philosophy. First of all, many students feel as if getting a high score will allow them to achieve admission into their college of choice. Jun 30th, 2021 Published. While the educational system does prepare students for the academic stress of college, it does not qualify students to become young, successful adults and survive in the real world. A study has proven that lack of sleep will affect a teenagers life in a negative way, Overtime, not obtaining enough sleep can hurt students healthy, safety, social life, and school career. (National Sleep foundation 1) Due to teenagers naturally not being able to fall asleep till later in the night and forcing students to wake up severely early in the morning for school, they are exhausted. 76 0 obj <> endobj The first part of the day would include teachers introducing new topics, or testing on what was previously taught. This may sound like an outlandish problem, but this is what the average teenager goes through. No, though they both can influence the behavior of individuals or groups. If she were to fill her roles as a woman she would not have married the third time and would have lived with how her life currently was. Numerous adolescents are not getting enough rest and this is often because of early school begin times. As much as most people like to think of themselves as unique individuals, in reality, humans are social beingsand for the sake of group cohesion, people are evolutionarily driven to fit in. and updated on 2021, September 17, Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. 3). Instead of promoting individuality in students and offering educational opportunities, vain ideals are promoted and have little effect outside of high school. Some experts. This could be done by changing schools scheduling to have a later start time, provide the students with electives that promote interest in. 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Parents need to be careful while administering drugs to their kids. Most of these students pass through too many years during their high school lives feeling like they dont measure up, and most kids graduate only knowing if theyre good at school or not. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. The educational system is flawed and it does not prepare students to become successful adults. Danes understand that wealth and happiness are public as well as personal matters. Conformity is typically motivated by a person's identification with a specific group. } Specifically, conformity is a social influence which involves compliance with group norms or laws while individuality refers to the quality that distinguishes a person from others. In this lesson, students examine the pressures that exist to conform to popular . In comparison, psychological studies which are related with individuality include twin studies and adoption studies (nature vs nurture). The synonyms of conformity include obedience, consent, conventionality, and allegiance while those of individuality include character, personality, selfhood, and identity. Groupthink refers to a specific kind. Conformity is a universal feature across societies, leading researchers to suspect that it gave us an evolutionary advantage. 107 0 obj <>stream Public opinions on the length of the school days are different. Most schools start really early, causing students to not get enough sleep. Throughout this paper, the focal point will be assessing how these views are applied, both inside and outside the classroom. Many students across the nation are attending schools that have seven classes during each school day as their schedule, one of them being Conroe High School. Thus, most students were in school during the period they reported being least alert and were released from school at the time they were reaching their peak alertness (School Start Time Study, 2001). svg.mzr-nav-icon { After marrying Jody, Janie was deceived into thinking she was living a high-class life, but in reality was confined even more in this marriage than her last one. Categorized under Miscellaneous,Psychology | Difference Between Conformity and Individuality. Twain was in fact the author. Catherine A. Sanderson Ph.D. on October 13, 2022 in Norms Matter. Uniform policies can stifle the willingness of a student to engage in creative activities or his comfort in doing so. In todays education system, there is an ongoing debate concerning conformity and individuality. The intrinsic value of anything is often given a hidden meaning. I agree with this source, starting schools later could enhance students school performance academically and athletically. While some people strive to be non-conformist, conformity is a fact of life for the vast majority of humankind. When you force students to conform with uniform standards, you can deter gang activity because gangs often identify themselves with clothing styles or colors. Although Bostein points out Americas education system seems to be the main issue in preparing our children for the future, he is a bit too extreme with this ideas. The teacher is talking and you dont take any notes. The fairness of teaching students knowledge they will most likely never use for anything other than to pass a standardized test should called into question and evaluated. Often, designer clothing influences the likelihood that children will be popular in school. There are two fundamental types of schedules: conventional and flexible. Weed #1Comma, Comma, Comma I know you are writing on demand, but these comma rules must be . 2 Pages. This may manifest in their appearance, behavior, or the social norms they choose to follow. In theory, to be truly accepted as a member, an individual must adopt the norms and rules that govern the group's behavior. One of the most famous civil rights leader that advocated for 13 years, Martin Luther King Jr., discertation called, The Purpose of Education, that brings awareness to the importance of education and its overall relevance in tepid year of 1947. To address the issue high schools must promote the importance of receiving education instead of focusing on vain ideals which students believe define their importance. Soon, your in class and can barely manage to stay awake. This is the issue we face every day with the school system because although it is great to have a better understanding in these subjects, they should also focus on teaching us how to prepare for the real world. With this in mind, there are four main ideologies that are analyzed more frequently than others; these include Scholar Academic, Social Efficiency, Learner-Centered, and Social Reconstruction. Obediently, with their heads down, students are taught to become successful executives and agreeable members of society. This arrangement is not reasonable. Conformity in schools plays a major role in fulfilling their tasks of educating the teens and preparing them for the world outside the walls of school building. The Positive and Negative Side of Peer Pressure You Need to Know, Peer Pressure and Teens: Social Media is the Culprit. With their work being the source of inspiration of many to simply having a likeable, repeatable demeanor, there is no doubt that to be regarded in that special collective of individuals. width: 22px; The percentage of late students dropped around 3% from the 2011-2012 school year to to the 2013-2014 school year. Of course there will be some mixing of the two that will produce the best engineers and the best students. Education should not just be about our academics or else we will never get anywhere. Unfortunately, yes. In practice. Sadly, this question has never been answered. Introduction:I disagree with adding another hour of school because the students don't need to be at school all day.They need to be at home so they can rest,do other things. Now, nearly two decades later, 19 percent of public schools across the country require uniforms, while 57 percent enforce a strict dress code. For example, a foreign student adopted a new way of life; however, he went back to his previous culture when he went back to his own country. Starting school too early are preventing many teenagers from getting the sleep they need to start off their day. Although all of these components promote conformity, which will ultimately support the balance of school and societal norms, they also tend to threaten each students own unique characteristics. Juvenile Delinquency: What Makes Teens Commit Crimes? Pubic school's mission is to teach children to conform to society's norms and also to help kids reach their full individual potential. School Dress codes do not allow students to completely express their individuality. This is stronger as compared to compliance since it involves public and private conformity; however, it may stop when the individual leaves the group. Students with a passion in writing and reading should be allowed to take more classes to pursue their interests and help further them after graduation, instead of having them sit through math and science courses from which they will gain to practical or usable knowledge. "Difference Between Conformity and Individuality." MLA 8 The Today Show: Are School Uniforms Helping or Hindering? hose in favor of uniforms claim there To complete the matter further, the excision of Fridays from the school schedule would also cause teenagers to lose precious hours of sleep. Education is more than schooling. Individuality refers to the quality that distinguishes a person from others. Waking up early affects teenagers social life, mentality, physical being, and academic career. While we recognize that a students own motivation, study habits, and will to learn, are cardinal in any schooling system, we must also understand the issues with an institution that is fundamentally unsound from the ground up. The constant ringing of bells, lectures, bellwork, classwork, homework, each a daily practice throughout the school year. Nowadays people are choosing not to study they just want to be on the internet and be playing video games because they are conforming to the society new ways of not wanting to study or even finish school. Some are numerical and scientific geniuses, while others have an enviable passionate way with words. School is an institution that can serve as a massive gate in life granting you access to a job, stability, and a future or it can become a giant pillar in the way of everything you wish to achieve. Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects, 17 September, 2021, http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-conformity-and-individuality/. A desire to be accepted, to not make waves, or to punish non-conformists has motivated bullying, exclusion, and even large-scale atrocities. How Can Parents Help Their Teens Explore their Sexuality? Jean has also been a research adviser and panel member in a number of psychology and special education paper presentations. The alteration of the school schedule would also decrease productivity in students of all ages. The four-day school week is unreasonable in its demands of students, whose productivity levels would drop as their hours of sleep. Jean Brown is a Registered Psychologist, licensed professional teacher, and a freelance academic and creative writer. Ran D. Anbar M.D. For the last few years, schools across the United States have made conscious efforts to delay school start times. Conformity denotes a wide-ranging phenomenon in which people (intentionally or unintentionally) shift their behavior or beliefs to fit in with a larger group. Most teenage students despise having to get up so early and walk out the door to get to school before 8:00. Schools are so much a part of our society, so the accurate length of school days is extremely important. Conformity does give results in the shape of well-adjusted kids, but at the cost of passionate, creative, smart and lively individuals. 349 Words. basic human instinct for the vast majority of people. This arrangement will lead to sleep deprivation. 91 0 obj <>/Encrypt 77 0 R/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<01E661BA8ED8F74182E27CCF22F4DB5A><47BE5BFF8EB1134B800A524EE8804941>]/Index[76 32]/Info 75 0 R/Length 82/Prev 479844/Root 78 0 R/Size 108/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream That is to say, generally in this country, those who graduate from high school, move on to college, and earn a degree, most likely which would allow them to enter into the workforce and earn a comfortable living, are viewed as more successful than individuals who do not complete high school and or college. It is also associated with diversity since it values uniqueness and depth. Most middle schoolers and high schoolers are sleep deprived because school starts too early. Uniforms may simply involve wearing a standard T-shirt or top. Does your teen's sex education at school address porn issue? Individuality vs. Conformity in Schools Are we trained mice in a maze, or individuals? Dr. Iroise Dumontheil, author of research regarding the development of students, declared that it was not due to lack of motivation that students have trouble focusing in school. Without it, nothing would ever change. If we as a society choose to base schooling off of the guidelines of conformity, the individuality in each and every student will soon be lost due to being forced to comply to the school system, therefore hindering students sense of individuality. Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business. If one of the authors were instructors in one of my unnecessary classes they probably would make comments that Im weak minded or not genius. Americas high schools are in desperate need of help. View on SAGE Save to Library Create Alert Normative conformity is the tendency to behave in certain ways in order to be accepted by a group. The current school start time is unacceptable when thought about logically, and we must make the changes to have school start at a later time. Successful conformity in today's workplace does not include limiting individuality and forcing . According to the U.S. Department of Education, after the policy went into effect, school crime in the district fell 36 percent, fights between students fell 51 percent, and sexual offenses fell 74 percent. Informational conformity is the tendency to turn to a group to glean information, make decisions, or form opinions. I like the quote. Colleges take students scores on these standardized test into consideration when determining the admittance status of those applying to their school. The underlying foundations of the issue incorporate poor teenager rest propensities that don 't take into account enough hours of value rest; rushed calendars with afterschool , activities and jobs, homework hours and family commitments; and a conflict between societal requests, for example, early school begin times , and natural changes that put most teens on a later rest wake clock. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? Individuality leads to innovation and strengthens a society unlike conformity, which sets limits on progress. Students have thus neglected their education because of false expectations which are promoted along with unsatisfactory educators. In Kelmans conceptualization of conformity, the term identification refers to conformity that is motivated by a desire to be accepted by a specific person or group. When we work in groups, it can be extremely difficult to discern what an individual actually thinks about something. What is a good education? The creative abilities or tendencies of students is sometimes affected by rigid school uniform policies. However, I would really love to hear from you about your opinions on individuality and conformity. This quotation accurately sums up the problems of our education system. But teachers and parents forget that teenage is the time when kids begin to express their individuality. Conformity was first studied by Jenness while studies which are related with individuality include twin studies and adoption studies. Conformity teaches you about fitting in a working society, and individuality teaches you about being yourself and not blending in too much with the crowd. Individuality And Conformity In Education Though individuality is important to the growth of public school attendees, it must also be balanced by social pressure. Presentation Transcript. Essays earning a score of 8 effectively argue the extent to which schools should support individuality or conformity. Public school or Private school: which ones better for your teen, Alternative School Options for Troubled Teens. Also, we will be able to be well rested, and ready for a new school day. Schools can also more easily spot intruders if someone is walking the halls or enters a classroom without the requisite attire. (Source A) Many people are successful without even resorting to the traditional school system. The most well-known Americans, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln? 83 FEATURES Individuality vs. Conformity: The Issue Behind School Uniforms By Peter Caruso Peter Caruso is a junior high school English teacher in Mesa, Ariz. However, they are not teaching us things that we would have to learn from experience later in our lives. This will benefit my essay by forward explaining why school should start later in the morning and why doing this will be better for the students, Did you know that not enough sleep for teens can lead to poor organization, poor time-management skills, and can make them impulsive? A good education isnt just learning and comprehending, a good education should also teach us how to work well with others, to use our common sense, to expand our range of friends and how we think. Individuality vs. Conformity: The Issue Behind School Uniforms P. Caruso Published 1 September 1996 Education NASSP Bulletin When we consider whether or not to implement a school uniform pot- icy, we need to understand the validity of each proponent's arguments. However, he ate a lot of vegetable salad to please his vegan host and his family. Brown, gene. it is acting or thinking differently from the way you would act and think if you were alone (pg 188). Not all kinds of conformity are the same. Because of the lack of sleep students face, it poses serious problems for them the next day inside and outside of the classroom. Alfie Kohns essay How not to get into College, Heron Joness poem Somnambulist, and the episode Rosebud from the television show, The Simpsons, shows how finding true meaning and motivation in life can be very difficult and also reveals deeper meaning of how it is better to be motivated intrinsically rather than extrinsically. It should also be about how to prepare yourself for real-world problems. Pure individuality may help students in a classroom, one must be able to cope and conform to social pressure in the years after school. Brown, g. (2021, September 17). Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? For these important and practical reasons, schools should not change school start times. Each student has their own unique personal interests and passions.