HOW CAN MINORITY INFLUENCE HELP RAISE VOICES OF MINORITIES
Even if you are a student, you can make a change in the world. Minority influence enables people to change opinions and attitudes of others. First and foremost, you can simply use the word of mouth and talk to your friends and peers about the issue you have in mind. Even if you say it to a few people there will be the so called “snowball effect,” because these people will also tell their friends and later on pretty much everyone will get to know about the problem. With this domino effect going on, information can be spread quickly and efficiently, allowing for action to be put forward. One student can start off a huge movement when they rely on the consequences of the snowball effect.
Flexibility, to appeal to different people´s standards may also be used to further the cause. There is always a point when a movement becomes mainstream. Movements which have been started via minority influence can “overgrow” into the forefront of society´s consciousness. At this point, it is simple for the people new to the movement (the majority) to forget where the initiative came from. This is called social crypto-amnesia. The phenomenon is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it´s for a good cause.
There are many ways a person can join a movement, not all have to be tied to conforming to the minority. Sometimes, movements rise from the desire to disobey rather than to obey, to rise against the status quo. One of such circumstances is a humane one. It is when we feel for the other person. When we feel personally responsible for the consequences befalling a person, the lack of a physical and psychological distance causes us to be more likely to stand up against the command. We can see this in action all around the world as an increasing number of people stand up to injustice every day. Whether it be the BLM movement which took us by a storm and brought much needed change or the world crying out for the femicide in Mexico to stop. Humans are social animals and cannot be onlookers to the pain of others.
Another example of disobedience for a social cause would be when a person sees an ally with whom they share intent. This disobedient social hero can be tied to an explanation of minority again. The snowball effect as well as similarity are often used to engage and convince the masses, as the people are more likely to conform or join the cause if there are people behind the movement already. We feel supported and powerful when in groups, as we believe that if enough people stand behind a cause it must be true. Many movements which start small then grow in “popularity” exponentially as more people raise their voices. An example would be the #MeToo movement. The cries for justice were few and far out when the movement started, however once it gained traction online more victims felt safe to speak of what happened to them. This event is the posterchild of what spectacular things can be achieved if enough voices are raised to the front and if enough support is provided to those who need it most.
A group of students who are encouraged to start a movement can actually make a social change. Everything is in our hands and everything has to start somewhere. Be brave. Be powerful. Bring the change now.
