Peer pressure
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Peer pressure comprises a set of group dynamics whereby a group of people in which one feels comfortable may override the personal habits, individual moral inhibitions or idiosyncratic desires to impose a group norm of attitudes or behaviors.
It requires members to conform to the overall value of the group. These reference groups are sometimes referred to as membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member (of, for example, a political party or trade union). Individuals may also have aspiration groups (social cliques, say, such as yuppies) to which they would like to belong. They may also recognize dissociative groups with which they would not wish to associate (thus drinkers may go to great lengths to avoid being associated with lager louts). This peer pressure can sometimes be used to great effect by marketers. If they can sway the few opinion leaders in the reference group they will capture the whole group.
The phrase Peer Pressure often carries a negative connotation, in particular as it relates to adolescents being persuaded to partake in potentially behavior disapproved of by parents, such as drug and alcohol use, and skipping school. Although the causes of such events are hotly debated, peer pressure is also considered by many to be the root cause of several recent tragedies in the United States involving young people.
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