Question

The Milgram Experiments

The Milgram experiments on obedience to authority, discussed in chapter five (Society: The Basics13th Edition by John J. Macionis) were conducted with groups of subjects who had not met before the experimental session.

Do you think that groups of people who already knew each other would demonstrate more or less conformity if placed in these experimental situations? What if the teachers were men and the learners were women? Would teenagers conform the same as adults?

Answer 1

There have been situations where people have compromised with their personal interests in order to obey their duties, dutifully. There are historical incidents where people have made sacrifice by killing their own blood relations to keep the pride and continuity of the royal heritage.There are incidents where two friends when become on two contrary ends of the legal system adhere to their respective group authorities and fight with each other till one of the meet their end.

Teenagers have lesser experience and their world view is in the formative stage when they want to experiment before accepting. Hence, the level of conformity between the teenagers and dults would vary but of course few situations may differ.

Between teachers and students, the relationship is more of Mentor and Protege. Where gender becomes a secondary aspect. But still in few specific conditions teachers consider and become lenient with the female studnets and don't expect them to do all the jobs as male students do.