Social Power and Influence

Social power influences the behaviors of individuals within the society in diverse ways. People would act according to the expectations and standards or norms set in their environments. They could also act according to the societal norms, which implies that they would conform to the acceptable standards or codes of ethics of their communities of origin. The society influences to a great deal an individual’s social contracts through the norms and expectations it imposes on them. As such, the environment plays a pivotal role in the upbringing of individuals. Parents, teachers, guardians, school, poverty, and race represent the environment in this context. Studies continue to show that the neighborhood in which a person is raised determine how they will view life, become obedient or even become deviant in the future. This paper explores how environmental factors such as family, community, race, and gender conventions shape individuals’ thinking, with or without their awareness. It further outlines how individuals construct ideas and institutions that influence their understanding of the world and their places in it. In that context, the research will involve a revisit of three works by Christian et al. (2012), Loroz (1988) and Messick and Ohme (2007). The works are of interest in the research because they explore important aspects such as worldviews, values, the role of the society in shaping social contracts, social power, the environment, and individuals’ understanding of the …