Moore1

BriannaMoore
ProfessorJenniferRodrick
English114B
11May2016
ToConformornotConform
Ouridentitiesaregreatlydefinedbythesocietyweliveintoday.Ourculturesand
environmentspressureustobewhatwearetrulynot.MinoritiessuchasBlackmalesand
Homosexualsexperiencealotofoppression,whichcantransformoneintobeingwhatsociety
wantsthemtobeorwhatsocietydoesntwantthemtobe.Onemayalsochangetheirappearance
justtofitinwithsocietyorthewaytheyactdependingonwhatenvironmenttheyarein.Family
canalsoplayanimportantroleinhowapersonmayactorconform.Whenoneconforms,they
agreewiththemajoritygroupjusttofitinwhetheritbelosingweightoractingadifferentway
andIbelievethishasshapedidentitiesintremendouswaysforeveryoneincludinghomosexuals
andminorities.
AlthoughsomeBlackmalesgraduatefromnotonlyhighschoolbutfromuniversities,
theyarestereotypedascriminalsanddangeroushumanbeings.Sadlythisisntthetruth,notall
Blackmalesarewhatsocietythinksthemtobe.Justbecauseonemayhavedonesomething
wrongdoesn'tmeantherestofthepopulationisthesame.SinceinnocentBlackmales
experiencethiskindofoppression,onemayconformjustsotheycanfitinwiththerestof
society.Inthearticle,
BlackMenandPublicSpace
,BrentStaplesillustrateswhatitsliketobea
blackmaleintoday'ssociety.Heisstereotypedasadangerousblackmaleandheendsup
conformingtofitinwithsociety.InthearticleBrentStaplesstates,Inowtakeprecautionsto

Moore2

makemyselflessthreatening.(190)Inotherwordsheendsupconformingjusttopleasesociety,
heelaboratesonhowhehasconformedinwayssuchasbystayingcalminsituationswhen
societywouldassumehewouldreactaggressively,wearingdifferentclothinginordertolook
harmless,lettingotherspasssotheydontthinkheisfollowingthemandbyalsowhistling
melodiesthatarenotrelatedtoraporhiphop.Societydefinitelypressuresminoritiesinto
conformism,whethertheyareblackoranotherminoritysuchashomosexual.
Eventhoughweareallhumanandshouldbetreatedequally,intodayssociety
homosexualityislookeddownupondotothelackofknowledgeandreligiousbeliefs.
Homosexualsexperienceoppressionbythemajoritygroupwhichareheterosexuals.Some
heterosexualssupporthomosexualsbutthisisnotthecaseallthetime.Homosexualsarecalled
Faggotsandaremadefunofbecausethey
arenotthesameasothers.Inthearticle,
WhatisaHomosexual?
,AndrewSullivan
expresseswhatitsliketobehomosexual
andhowhesurvivedhighschoolwhile
hidinghistrueidentity.Sullivanstates,Inthatmoment,youlearnthefirsthomosexuallesson:
thatyoursurvivaldependsuponselfconcealment.(127)Inotherwords,theonlywayhecould
survivehighschoolwithoutbeingrejectedwasbyconforming.Heconformedinwaysthatwould
makehimseemlikehewasntahomosexualbylearningandbeingapartofcertainclassesin
school.Healsostates,OtherhomosexualsIhavesubsequentlymetpursuedotherstrategies:
someparadoxicallythrewthemselvesintosports,outjockingthejocks,gainingevergreater
proximity,seekingrespect,whileknowingallthetimethattheyweredoomedtorejection.

Moore3

(128)AccordingtoAndrewSullivan,heisnottheonlyhomosexualwillingtoconformjusttofit
in.Societytendstolackknowledgeandaren'talwaysopenminded,theydontevennoticesome
peoplehavetohidetheiridentitiesjustsotheyarentbulliedorstereotyped.Sometimespeople
mayevenchangetheirappearancesjustsotheyarentbulliedfornotbeingthesameasothers.
Someindividualsgoasfarastochangingtheirappearancejustsotheycanfitinwiththe
crowd.Youngadultsareatacriticalstageinlifewheretheyarealways
tryingtofindthemselves.Theytryveryhardtofitinwithothers,even
ifthatmeansfollowingthenewtrends.Forexample,manybeautiful
youngwomenthesedaysidolizepeoplesuchasKimKardashianor
NickiMinaj.Thesewomanarefamousandarewidelyknownfortheir
bigbehindsandtheirhighmaintenancefashionsense.Unfortunately
sincethishasbecomemoreofatrend,manyyoungwomenfeelthe
needtohavebiggerbottoms,smallerwaists,contouredfacesand
brandnameclothingjustsotheycanfitinwithsociety.Societymakes
ithardforyoungwomantobethemselves,especiallywhentrendslike
thesearepraisedoverlooksthataremorenatural.Sometimespeoplechangetheirappearances,
othersmaychangethewaytheyactdependingonwhotheyarearoundandwhatenvironment
theyarein.
Inaworkingenvironment,individualstendtoconformbecausetheyhaveto.Forwork,
staffusuallyhastochangethewaytheydressandthewaytheymaytalktoothers.Atwork,
employeesareencouragedtobemoreformalthaninformalwhichcanleadtoaperson
conformingsotheycankeeptheirjob.Forexample,ifyouwalkintotheCSUNResidentiallife

Moore4

officeyouaregoingtobegreetedwith,Hi,howmayIhelpyou?insteadof,Hey,what's
up?Otherenvironmentslikeoneshome,canalsoplayanimportantroleinconformism.
Ibelievefamilyhasamajorimpactonhowonemayactandtheirbeliefs.Ithinkgrowing
up,eachandeveryoneofushavetoconforminwaysthatllpleaseourfamilymembers.Family
canimpactourreligiousbeliefs,genderidentity,andevenourmorals.Ifonedoesnotconformto
fitinwiththeirfamilytheycanbeshunnedorevendisowned.Intheshortstory,
OnGoing
Home
,byJoanDidion,Didionexpresseswhatit'slikeforhertogobacktoherchildhoodhome
aftershehasgrownup.Shealsoexplainshowsheactsdifferentlyaroundherfamilythenhow
sheactsathomewithherhusband.Didionstates,Myhusbandlikesmyfamilybutisuneasyin
theirhouse,becauseoncethereIfallintotheirways,whicharedifficult,oblique,deliberately
inarticulate,notmyhusbandsways.(1)Inotherwords,sheconformswhensheisaroundher
familyandthismakesherhusbanduncomfortablebecausesheisadifferentpersonwhensheis
notaroundherfamily.Manypeopletendtoconformwhendealingwithdifferentsituations,but
somedohavethecouragetobeperformative.
Eventhoughmanypeopleconformjustsotheycanavoidsocietiesstereotypes,some
mayrebelagainstsociety'sbeliefsandflaunttheiridentities.Manyarenotashamedofwhothey
trulyareandwillnotchangeoneaspectofwhotheyarejusttopleasesociety.Personally,Ihave
hairyarmsandIrefusetoshavethemjustsoIcanlookmorelikeagirl.Atfirstitwashurtful
whenotherswouldcallmenamesandIwouldtrytoconformbutnowthatIvebeencalled
werewolfsomanytimesIembracemyhairyarmsmorethaneverbecauseIbelieveIamstill
beautifulnomatterwhat.

Moore5

Societyplaysamajorroleinconformismanditisultimatelyuptotheindividualwhether
ornottheyconform.Society'sexpectationsandstereotypesmakeithardtobeyourself.Working
environmentsevenrequireyoutochangeasapersonjustsoyoucanbemoreprofessional.
Conforminghindersusfrombeingwhowetrulyareandinreality,themajorityofsocietyis
livingonebiglie.Maybeonedayindividualswilllearntolovetheskintheyareinanddisregard
thenegativecomments,butuntilthenconformismwillgrow.

Moore6

WorksCited
Didion,Joan.
TheNortonReader
.13thed.NewYork:W.W.Norton,2012.Print.
N.d.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.N.pag.
Helloperfect.com
.Web.27Mar.2016.
<
http://www.helloperfect.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/04/tumblr_m2n9wc9lek1ru6np9
o1_500.png>.

Staples,Brent.
TheNortonReader
.13thed.NewYork:W.W.Norton,2012.Print.
Sullivan,Andrew.
TheNortonReader
.13thed.NewYork:W.W.Norton,2012.Print.
ThinkBeforeYouSpeak
.N.d.
Malindalo.com
.Web.27Mar.2016.
<
http://www.malindalo.com/2010/06/avoidinglgbtqstereotypesinyafictionpart4sec
ondarycharactersandgayjokes/>.