Essay on Deindividuation and Its Role in Modern Society

Conner Wilson 10-23-2012 Composition I The Deindividuation of Society Since the beginning of time, mankind has advanced as a society of many; each person and individual a piece in the great machine that is time. This unity, this joining of forces, has driven mankind forward throughout the dark ages of humanity’s past and into the modern world people live in today. Much has changed with the passing of time, but what has not changed is humanity’s primal instinct to create allies and forge relationships to stand united against the forces that would oppose them. This bond is essential to the structure of society and is the foundation on which culture is built, making this â€Å"Deindividuation† of society all the more disturbing. This†¦show more content†¦For instance, gangs often have a mark that they tattoo on their bodies in order to be accepted as part of the in-group of their gang. Members of sororities and fraternities often wear outfits marked with the â€Å"letters† of their respec tive organization so that they can easily be recognized as part of their particular group. By eliminating individual disparity, these various groups become more unified. The unity of a group can make its members lose their awareness of self in their overwhelming distinctiveness with the group. An example of this is that a man in the armed forces might classify himself through a variety of character constructs, however while in uniform with dog tags around his neck and a shaved head, he might suddenly only identify himself as a fighter. Similarly, a young woman wearing her sorority shirt, and standing in a crowd of her sorority friends, may feel less like herself, and more like a â€Å"Zeta-Oh† or a â€Å"Beta-Z.† Physically stabilized to the principles of their particular groups, these diverse members of the group are all at threat to feel deindividuized. They may begin to think of themselves as a mere element of the faction, and lose consciousness that they are an individual with the capability to act and think independently from their crowd. They can and will do things they might not regularly do out of self-consciousness, individualShow MoreRelatedThe Effects that Social Psychology Has on Ourselves1252 Words   |  5 Pages The term ‘nature versus n urture’ is a widely discussed phenomenon in modern day psychology. It refers to the debate of whether human behavior is attributed more to inherited traits or to environmental influences. When psychologists discuss environment, they can include a physical place, cultural practices, or just the people one surrounds themselves with in social settings. 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