The Power of the Crowd

Aim: How do we analyze the concept of crowd manipulation and relate it to conformity?  

Quick Write: Do you believe it is right to manipulate a crowd for your own purposes? Why or why not?

Today we will continue to explore the idea of crowd manipulation. Manipulate means to control or handle in a skillful way. For what purposes would people want to manipulate groups or crowds?

Step 1: Watch the two videos below, making note of what happens and what exactly the speakers say to convince the crowd to act and behave as they do. For each video, take notes on techniques that are used to manipulate the crowds such as music, posters, tone of speech. Listen to what each speaker specifically says to convince the crowd to follow them and their ideals. Write down something they say in the exact words. Then generate two questions you have and one reaction. There is a graphic organizer for these notes available in the classroom or by clicking here.

The two videos are below.

Hitler's speech to German youth.

I Have a Dream speech

Final Reflection: Write a reflection on one of the critical questions below. Submit your notes on the videos along with the reflection or post your work on your blog.

Critical Questions

• Why would politicians, advertisers, celebrities, or community leaders want to "work" a crowd?
• How are crowds manipulated for the common good?
• How are crowds manipulated for bad purposes?
• How do we analyze the ethics (right and wrong) of crowd manipulation?
• How can we prevent ourselves from being manipulated by crowds? Should we?

Discussion Question!!!!
What was the most interesting question or comment you heard today in class? Put your thoughts on the comment section below and earn one extra credit Accountable Talk II point.

What's Due

• PowerPoint on the human behavior experiments
• 1st MP Journal or blog
• Daily classwork
• Independent reading book

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

Conformity in Music

Aim: How do we analyze how the theme of conformity is developed in music?

Quick Write: (Day 1) Hip-hop is often seen as art form that is both conformist and non-conformist. What do you think? How might hip-hop be an act of conformity? How might hip-hop speak to non-conformity? (Day 2) What is your favorite type of music? Explain how music speaks to you as an individual and also how it speaks to you as a conformist?

Conformity and non-conformity are on view anywhere there is a group of people. We see it at home, school, neighborhood, fashion, music, politics. For this lesson, we are going to view and listen to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” and Kanye West’s “All Falls Down,” read the lyrics, and consider what each respective musical artist has to say about conformity.

Step 1: View the video and read the lyrics to Pink Floyd's “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2).”
Click here to view "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall.
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.

We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall.
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.

“Wrong, Do it again!”
“If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?”
“You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds, stand still laddy!”

Step 2: Answer the following questions on your blog:

• According to the song, what is the function of schools? What are schools compared to?
• What is the significance of the students’ deformed and indistinguishable faces?
• What is meant by the title, “Another Brick in the Wall”? How does this relate to conformity?
• What is the overall message in the song?
• How might the students singing in chorus be construed as ironic?

Step 3: View the video and read the lyrics to Kanye West's (feat. Syleena Johnson “All Falls Down.”
Click here to watch "All Falls Down."
Oh when it all, it all falls down
I’m telling you oh, it all falls down
Oh when it all, it all falls down
I’m telling you oh, it all falls down

Man I promise, she’s so self conscious
She has no idea what she’s doing in college
That major that she majored in don’t make no money
But she won’t drop out, her parents will look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain’t insecure
The concept of school seems so secure
Sophomore three years ain’t picked a career
She like **** it, I’ll just stay down here and do hair
Cause that’s enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs
Cause her baby daddy don’t really care
She’s so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn’t afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus [a Lexus]
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve
And she be dealing with some issues that you can’t believe
Single black female addicted to retail and well

[Chorus]

Man I promise, I’m so self conscious
That’s why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pasha’s done drove me crazy
I can’t even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace! 

Then I spent 400 bucks on this
Just to be like ***** you ain’t up on this!
And I can’t even go to the grocery store
Without some ones that’s clean and a shirt with a team
It seems we living the American dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us
We trying to buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we a’stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a ***** in a coop/coupe

[Chorus]

I say **** the police, that’s how I treat em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can’t buy freedom
We’ll buy a lot of clothes when we don’t really need em
Things we buy to cover up what’s inside
Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth
That’s why shortys hollering “where the ballas’ at?”
Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack
And a white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain’t even goin’ act holier than thou
Cause **** it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou
Before I had a house and I’d do it again
Cause I wanna be on 106 and Park pushing a Benz
I wanna act ballerific like it’s all terrific
I got a couple past due bills, I won’t get specific
I got a problem with spending before I get it
We all self conscious I’m just the first to admit it

Step 4: Answer the following questions on your blog:

• Identify at least two lines that reveal Kanye West’s awareness of his conformity.
• What does he identify as the source of his desire for material goods?
• Rita Mae Brown wrote: “The reward for conformity is that
  
  everyone likes you but yourself.” How does this quote relate to the song? Identify specific lines that show that Kanye West agrees.
• Kanye West is talking about conspicuous consumption – a term sociologists use to explain the buying of goods for displaying wealth or some kind of social status (Google it for more detail!) – in “All Falls Down.” How is conspicuous consumption similar to conformity?

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

The Human Behavior Experiments Challenge

Aim: How do we demonstrate our understanding and analysis of a human behavior experiment?

Quick Write: Of the four experiments we have studied so far--Asch, Milgram, Darley and Latane, and Stanford--which resonated with you the most? Explain why.

Create a Powerpoint!
(Using Google Drive)

The final project for this marking period and our unit on human behavior experiments is to create a PowerPoint using Google Drive. Your presentation should demonstrate your analysis and interpretation of your selected experiment. It's most important to think about what the experiment you choose to analyze says about human nature.

Step 1: Choose one of the following topics:

• The Milgram Experiment
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• The Asch Experiment
• The Darley and Latane experiments

Step 2: Review the experiment that you’ve chosen. Do further research online and find at least two additional text sources. As you’re reading, you are trying to learn more about your particular topic and how it relates to conformity or obedience. You may want to copy and paste (into a Google document) certain sections as you go, or if you prefer, you may choose to print out your sources and highlight/annotate important sections.

Step 3: Using your resources, create a presentation using Google Drive (about 7-10 slides) that can be used to teach your readers about your topic. If you are using information from a website or any source, make sure to put the link or source information at the bottom of each slide. Make sure to include visuals too.

Follow this general outline (it doesn’t have to follow exactly):

• Slide 1: Title and Author
• Slide 2-5: Background--What event(s) prompted the experiment? What problem or question was the researcher trying to solve or answer? What was the hypothesis driving the research?
• Slide 6: How does this relate to conformity or obedience?
• Slide 7: What were the findings? What can be concluded?
• Slide 8: How does this connect to other ideas or events you’ve studied, researched or observed?
• Slide 9-10: What does this say about humanity?

Step 4: Ask a partner to review and proofread your presentation. Share the link on your blog and email it to msbecker4@gmail.com Congratulations! You are done. We will present our work next week.

The PowerPoint will be graded using the rubric you see by clicking here. It is classified as a project and will be worth 100 points. As a result, it will represent one-third of your grade for the 1st marking period. It is due Friday, March 20.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Aim:How do we analyze the Stanford Prison Experiment? 

Quick Write:“Historically, the most terrible things--war, genocide, and slavery--have resulted not from disobedience, but from obedience."

                   --Howard Zinn

You know the march: interpret, agree or disagree, and explain why.

Today we are going to analyze one more experiment before we begin working on the final challenge on this unit studying social science experiments. We will watch a documentary about the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. As you watch the documentary, deconstruct the components of the experiment using the graphic organizer. There will be a short reflection to complete at the end.

Step 1:First, watch this documentary, "The Stanford Prison Experiment."     

Step 2: Click here for a graphic organizer to complete as you watch. Make a copy and move it into your Google Drive. (Hard copies are also available in the classroom.)

Step 3: Read more about the experiment by clicking here.

Step 4: Complete the final reflection and link the worksheet to your blog or submit the hard copy.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

Bystander Apathy

Aim: How do social psychologists design experiments to study group behavior?

Quick Write: Watch this video and describe what happens in terms of group behavior and the Bystander Effect.

Watch this video about Kitty Genovese and the Bystander Effect.

Social scientists like other scientists design experiments to learn about group behavior and its effect on individual behavior. Read this article about the Darley and Latane experiments. As you read, take note of the hypothesis and design of their experiments. What conclusions did they draw from their experiments?

Working together as a group (!) deconstruct the experiments to analyze how Darley and Latane drew their conclusions about group behavior. You will identify each element of the Scientific Method and then write a final reflection. Each member of the group is responsible for turning in her/his own worksheet.

Deconstructing Social Psychology Experiments

Analyze the Darley and Latane experiments for each element of the Scientific Method. Hard copies of this worksheet are available in the classroom.

Problem: What were they testing? What phenomenon or event prompted it?

Why are people less likely to respond in an emergency when there are a large group of people around? The Kitty Genovese case. (Bystander Effect)

Their hypothesis: Write an if/then statement.

Experiment design: (what did they do to test their hypothesis?)

Data: What happened?

Findings/Conclusions: What was learned by the experiment?

Check Your Findings!

Click here to watch a video in which Darley explains why he and Latane conducted their experiments and what they concluded from the results.

Final Reflection

What do the Darley and Latane experiments say about humans and human behavior? Why do you think it’s harder to act when there are more people present? Come up with three short and to-the-point steps to make sure people don’t fall victim to the bystander effect.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

Introducing the Bystander Effect

Aim: How do we analyze the causes of the Bystander Effect, including "diffusion of responsibility"?

Quick Write: Complete one of the two following scenarios.

1. In middle of the day a man climbs on the railing of a bridge high above a river. He sits on the railing muttering things to himself. A crowd begins to gather number and motorists stop on the bridge to watch him.

In your opinion what is the likelihood that an onlooker would help in this situation? Why? Rate from 1-5, where “1″ is very likely and “5″ is very unlikely

Why is this so?

What factors do you think would influence whether an onlooker would help or not help? List the following: 

5 Factors that would influence an onlooker to help. 

5 Factors that would influence an onlooker not to help. 

2. At 1:00 a.m. outside a tavern several men are arguing. Two of the men are shouting loudly at a third man who appears to be backing away from them. The two men move toward the lone man and start waving their arms as he backs up against a wall. A group of people exiting the bar notice the situation.

In your opinion what is the likelihood that an onlooker would help in this situation? Why? Rate from 1-5, where “1″ is very likely and “5″ is very unlikely. 

What factors do you think would influence whether an onlooker would help or not help? List the following: 

5 Factors that would influence an onlooker to help. 

5 Factors that would influence an onlooker not to help. 

The Bystander Effect

Read this article from the New York Times. The reported events are true and took place on March 14, 1964.

Reading Questions

1. What happened to Kitty Genovose?
2. Why was this story so shocking at the time
3. Why do you think so many people failed to respond?
4. Do you think similar tragedies happen today?

The Bystander Effect - Social psychological phenomenon in which individuals do not offer help in an emergency situation when others are present.

The term bystander effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress. People conform to the behavior of the people around them. When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses.

Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in 1964. The murder continued for half an hour while thirty-eight bystanders watched without intervening or notifying the police.

Most famous case of the bystander effect, also known as the "Genovese Syndrome."

Kitty Genovese

Explanations for the Bystander Effect

There are two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect. First, the presence of other people creates a diffusion of responsibility (when everyone in a group assumes that somebody else will act, but no one does; responsibility is spread out amongst a group so no one individual feels it). Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present.

The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate. Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to intervene if the situation is ambiguous. In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnesses reported that they believed that they were witnessing a “lover’s quarrel,” and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered.

Watch the video about the bystander effect by clicking here. Please note the additional aspects that the video brings to light about our inclination to help strangers.

Final Reflection: After viewing the video: Write a two-paragraph summary of the bystander effect. Your response should include:

• a definition of the bystander effect 
• an explanation of how the uninvolved bystander is a conformist 
• discussion of the Kitty Genovese case 
• discussion of what the video adds to our understanding of the Bystander Effect 
• a story about how, in some instances, people do get involved and intervene. You’ll have to do your own research or discuss a personal example. 
• How can knowing about the Bystander Effect and the Kitty Genovese incident be useful to us? 

Remember, you should write a well-developed response with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

Listening to a Podcast

Aim: How do we interpret the results of the Milgram Experiments?

Quick Write: Based on what you have learned so far about the Milgram Experiment, what do you believe motivates people to obey authority? Explain.

A podcast is an audio file that can be found on a website and downloaded onto a media player. Usually podcasts are based around a theme and are released regularly (daily, weekly, monthly). It’s like a radio program, except you can listen to it whenever you want.

Today you’ll listen to a part of a Radiolab podcast.

From the website: “Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human experience.”

Listen to an episode called "The Bad Show" by clicking here.

(Begin at the 8:48 mark and end at the 25:00 minute mark.)

As you listen, pay attention to any new insights you might gain from the conversation.

• What did you learn about the Milgram Experiments that you hadn’t learned before?
• What new understandings do you have about humanity?
• Why do they say the participants were so willing to go all the way in the baseline study?
• Do you agree that this is the reason?
• Should we be optimistic about humanity? Do we have the best intentions?

Final Reflection: Address the above questions in at least one well-organized paragraph. In your response, include a direct quotation from the podcast. This means you’ll need to identify what you think is the most important point in the podcast, and copy it down word for word. Write a well-developed paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****

Further Consideration of the Milgram Experiments

Everyone except T (teacher) was a confederate.

Aim: How do we evaluate the causes of obedience?    

Quick Write: Choose one of the three quotes below by Stanley Milgram and state whether or not you agree with it. Explain. 

1. “Facts of recent history and observation in daily life suggest that for many people obedience is a deeply ingrained behavioral tendency, an impulse that may override training in ethics, sympathy, and morality.”

2. “Behavior that is unthinkable in an individual who is acting on her own may be executed without hesitation when carried out under orders.”

Recruiting poster.

3. “The essence of obedience consists in the fact that a person comes to view himself as the instrument for carrying out another person’s wishes, and he therefore no longer considers himself responsible for his actions.”

Today, we will continue our exploration of the Milgram experiments, answering some difficult questions about obedience. What causes people to obey even when following orders may cause harm to innocent people? Don't forget to complete your work from yesterday, including a well-organized paragraph answering as best you can one of the questions on the four-column note-taking sheet. 

In the footage of the video from the Milgram Experiment, (Milgram Obedience Study from NYC Connected Foundations on Vimeo) you can see that the participants are extremely stressed out and uncomfortable. It’s clear that for those that went all the way to the highest voltage (450 volts) and completely obeyed authority, they did so with much anxiety. Imagine how these people felt going through this experience. Imagine if you were in this position. What would you be thinking? What would you be feeling? How would you react?

Your challenge:
Write a one-page monologue (a speech by a character) from the point of view of one of the participants who has just finished the experiment. You may choose to be a person who thought you went to the highest voltage, in which case your monologue would include an explanation as to why you didn’t resist. You may also choose to be a person who defied authority and refused to follow through, in which case you would explain what made you stop. Be sure to include how you felt, what you thought, and why the experience was so difficult. Remember, you didn’t know what was actually happening while you were a participant, but you were told afterwards of the true nature of the experiment. If you would like to do this in another format, you can record a podcast here by opening a free audioboo account or you could record a podcast on your cell phone. Email the link or recording to msbecker4@gmail.com and upload it to your blog.

***Don't forget to complete and turn in your "Six Elements of Engagement Daily Self-Tracker" before leaving class.

***What's Due

• Selfie poster 
• Letter to me 
• First post 
• Essential Questions worksheet 
• Identity post 
• Asch Experiment

****Always check Engrade for your up-to-the-minute progress in this class.****