Conformity: Identity-Change Stage Process

Conformity is the first identified attribute in the identity-change stage process. At this stage, people are amnesic to the fact that they characterize individuals based upon income, employment, personal wealth, and social status, henceforth, the concepts of meritocracy and social stratification prevail (Hogan, 2007). Preconceived notions, stereotypes, confusion, and denial are just some of the many harmful beliefs and behaviors that abound from this phase of the process (Hogan, 2007). Sadly, businesses and many academic institutions reinforce the level of conformity through various organizational beliefs, policies, and programs with the end outcome being a monocular view of diversity or an altogether cultural blindness (Hogan, 2007). Conformity,
In this stage of the process, people question everything that challenges mainstream societal beliefs concerning multiplicity (Hogan, 2007). Mentioned previously, resistance can be closely tied into conformity simply because there is fear of the unknown and the potential loss of status from within one’s social group. Fear of the unknown, ultimately, is the consequence of not knowing enough, or deficiency of cognition. Resistance may also be an effect of mistrust and predispositions that have built up over time within a particular social group. Lastly, resistance can be attributed to thoughts of losing control and perhaps being seen as an outcast. To question mainstream culture in search of the truth takes great courage, but with acquired knowledge, there are both power and understanding, all of which lead into the rebirth of an individual, starting with
It is at this stage that people start to redefine identity, according to a growing consciousness and sensitivity being discovered from within coalesced with an impingement on personal self and others close to them (Hogan, 2007). I regard this stage in the process as a period of waking. I am reminded of the 1990 film Awakenings, an account of consequence that starred Robin Williams and Robert De Niro. De Niro, played the role of a patient who was struck down in the prime of his life by Parkinsons Disease, which left him in a vegetative state of consciousness. After being given the drug Levo-Dopa, he began to wake up to find that the world had changed. De Niro’s character embraced the idea of a growing consciousness and sensitivity to the world around him. He discovered new things about himself and his surroundings that were left out because of his vegetative state. Perhaps, we can attribute conformity and resistance to the vegetative state De Niro’s character experienced in the film. The end result of De Niro’s awakening was the beginnings of a new identity, even though, it was only for a short time in the motion picture. Redefinition is the beginning of a cultural awakening and a new identity in stage