Conformity

Humans conform. With little or no reflection, we adopt the many functionless and ever-changing fads and fashions of those around us. And we not only conform to arbitrary fashions, we sometimes even conform to majority opinion when we know better ourselves. The experimental demonstration of what might be called “strong conformity” more than fifty years ago has sparked decades of scientific discourse and wonder. But despite its negative connotation in much intellectual discourse, conformity serves a crucially important function in the transmission of human culture by promoting quick and stable in-group uniformity, which then leads ineluctably to between-group cultural diversity. For more information please contact Daniel Haun.