Essay # 1 Conformity or Non-Conformity? That is the Question! I. Overview: In this formal essay assignment, you are first asked to explore the particular concepts of conformity and non-conformity in the broad sense; however, related concepts of individualism vs collectivism, free thinking vs prescribed thinking, authoritarianism/totalitarianism vs democracy are all under consideration as well. The concepts of self-censorship and peer pressure can even be examined under this topic. There are other relatable terms within this large realm of concepts, but exploring these particular terms will provide a good foundation to understanding the larger theme of this assignment. So, first consider these four categories of mine: The interpersonal level is where people are involved in all sorts of personal relationships with others feel compelled/pressured, are directly told/ordered, or are merely expected to conform to others’ desired behaviors, ways of thinking, or practices. Such relationships can be between members of a family, friends, co-workers, or even romantic relationships. The social level is where people are involved in a variety of societal relationships with mere acquaintances, complete strangers, and/or anyone who only knows a limited amount of information about anyone else. Consider all the different areas of society and the many interactions that occur in all of them daily–from stores to restaurants to bars to entertainment venues to sport/recreational activities to all the modes of public transportation–and this a very incomplete list! The cultural level is where people are involved in relationships that are either directly/formally or indirectly/informally framed around cultures. Be they formal ethnic cultural groupings and situations (which tie closely to the social and interpersonal levels above) to less formal or traditional sub-cultures within established cultural groups (teenagers or retirees) to even fringe counter-cultural groups that are formed around particular sport or interest (for example, music genres, skateboarders or car enthusiasts). The institutional level is where people are involved in relationships, both personal and impersonal, that revolve around common enrollment, membership, or participation in such institutions as schools, religious organizations, or the military as examples. Note: the four areas above are not official sociological categories; they are not intended to serve as any sort of final or definitive analysis of where or how relationships exist. Rather, they are just my own groupings, based upon common sense and observation. Feel free to use these areas in drawing your own insights (citing me is not necessary), but DO NOT use these categories to structure your essay! They are merely “food for thought,” and not a structural device for the essay. II. Video Resources Next, you are required in this essay to select and name 4 of the following videos from the Media Gallery and be sure to reference them throughout your discussion. To “name” them means you should have anywhere from one to three references to them incorporated into your essay (paraphrases in your own words as opposed to direct quotes, since quoting from videos is more of a logistical challenge). A “Works Cited” page is not necessary either, since I am providing these sources for you (I know what they are). Like the four categories above, these videos should serve as food for thought in your essay. 1. Is Cancel Culture Real? 2. The Power of Going Against the Norm. 3. The Loner’s Path 4. Freedom Vs Force: The Individual and the State 5. How the ‘Greater Good’ is Used as a Tool of Social Control 6. The Psychology of Authenticity 7. Why Solitude Promotes Greatness: The Benefits of Being Alone III. Assignment Prompt: So now that you’ve explored the terminology/concepts in part I above and selected/viewed four of the seven videos in part II, you’ve hopefully discovered just how vast and complex this subject is in terms of application to nearly every aspect of life! Now your job in this assignment will be to devise a focused and defensible position that directly answers the following question in the form of a thesis: As a governing principle for life, is it better to live life by principles of conformity or non-conformity to others’ expectations? Is it more important to be an individual or to be a member of a group? Now, regardless of how you answered the question, you should find yourself in somewhat of a dilemma because NO ANSWER to the question is a silver bullet. No single answer accurately covers all of the various scenarios or all of the people or all of relationships or all of the contexts that apply to this large concept of conformity vs non-conformity! You may now be asking why I assigned it in the first place then? Why are you asked to answer, and defend your answer, to such a difficult question? I’m glad you asked! A. Because in this English course, in which the skills of critical thinking and analysis are optimized, I wanted to assign a topic that is intentionally complex and/or does not allow for an “easy out” with regard to simple answers. Sure–you will answer the question with a thesis that obviously goes one way or another, as required. You may find yourself sticking to the opinion you express in it for the most part throughout the essay. However, regardless of which way you go, you will inevitably find yourself needing to provide exceptions or adjustments or contingencies in order to provide a thorough, honest, and accurate treatment of the topic if you are thinking critically and analyzing thoroughly. Your essay, in addition to being highly focused and structured around your reply to the question posed above, needs to demonstrate categorization, organization, thorough development, and cohesion. In short, it needs to be a well-developed and unified essay that thoroughly explores and offers opinions about the concept of conformity versus non-conformity. While I have been assigning this essay for many years, the whole Covid-19 conundrum a few years back (and all of the sub-issues stemming from it, such as “mandates”) provides better examples than any hypothetical scenario to illustrate the key concepts of the assignment! Just think about how many issues of conforming versus not conforming occurred in the context of the Covid years and examples abound! However, by offering this example, I am not asking for essays on Covid, or any other single subject, since one of the strengths of essay assignment is variety/eclecticism! The essay should be loaded with examples from everywhere! IV. Basic Requirements: 1. BARE MINIMUM: 1,500 WORDS in MLA FORMAT NOTE: essays that are significantly less than 1,500 words or not formatted according to correct MLA guidelines will NOT be accepted; essays that are not 1,500 words but close will receive a deduction–just as essays will receive deductions for errors in MLA format (as opposed to being entirely devoid of correct MLA format and not being accepted). On that note, essays that fail to incorporate any of the videos will not be accepted, and essays that have less than the required four videos referenced will receive significant deductions. Finally, essays which do not address the prompt question with an opinionated thesis (providing a direct answer to it, choosing one over the other) will receive significant deductions as well. 2. Word Documents or Google Docs only! I DO NOT accept PDF (note: ALL HCC computers have Word installed). 3. This is NOT A RESEARCH PAPER!!! I do not want to see sources, nor a Works Cited page, since the essay is designed to be entirely constructed from your own thoughts, observations, and experiences. The only “source material” you are using is the videos, of which I have explained above. 4. Third- Person Voice. You are free to use the first-person voice if you use a personal anecdote to make a point; however, I encourage everyone to write this in the third person (this means no personal pronouns reflecting the first or second person voices: I, Me, We, Our, Us, You, or Your). Also, don’t forget to give your unique essay its own unique title! The title of YOUR essay is not the title of MY assignment!