Free Essay on Gladwell's Analysis of Human Behaviour

In most cases, people tend to make the mistake of overestimating the importance of fundamental character traits and underestimating the importance of the situation and context when understanding the behavior of a person. Gladwell, for instance, uses his essay 'The Power of Context' to present the argument that the environment could significantly influence a person's behavior. As such, this paper presents an exposition on how Gladwell's views in 'The Power of Context' could inform group identity and behavior as portrayed in 'The Naked Citadel' by Susan Faludi and Azar Nafisi's story, 'Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran.

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In her essay, Susan Faludi examines both the feminine and masculine behaviors of various cadets within the Citadel. Her article can be adopted in testing out Gladwell's theory because it could be that the cadets in The Citadel may have been reacting based on the immediate environment. For instance, Faludi notes, 'The men bathe as a group; they walk to the shower down the open galleries, in full view of the courtyard below, and do so, one cadet said, in "nothing but our bathrobes" or "even without any clothes (Faludi 72). In 'The Naked Citadel,' Susan Faludi uses the Citadel as a symbol for the enduring nature of traditional gender roles. The traditional views that are enforced by the Citadel and the interaction with the outside world have created an 'atmosphere of cruelty.' Throughout the essay, it is noted that Faludi uses factual evidence and primary witnesses to expose some of the violent injustices done to freshman cadets 'knobs' by their very senior counterparts, particularly at the Citadel. In his essay entitled "Power of Context," Malcolm Gladwell espouses that violence emanates from the response to certain social contexts and, as such, can be treated or even avoided altogether (Gladwell 158).

Considering Gladwell's theory of The Power of Context, it can easily be deduced that the senior cadets are not culpable directly for their engagement in violent behaviors. Their various actions do not create any 'atmosphere of cruelty' but instead they actions are defined by the atmosphere. It is essential to note that the 'atmosphere of cruelty' in this case is significantly defined by the historical context that prompts dominance by the cadets. The surrounding Citadel also promotes violence through the separation of the cadets from the usual social conventions as well as boundaries. Important to note, since the "atmosphere of cruelty" (Faludi 72) is not a challenge caused by the psychological or any inherent instability on the side of the cadets, it could be treated easily through adjusting small things within the environment.

The cadets typically reside in a male environment, especially when in Citadels. For instance, Gladwell Malcolm notes, "Another is the rule that so many of the cadets say brought them to this Moorish-style, gated campus: Girls keep out (Faludi 71). This makes them behave more violently, while sometimes they become nurturing towards each other. As such, the changes observed in the cadets are not because of anything in their consciousness or another underlying problem but due to societal change. Faludi notes, 'But studies show that males learn better when females aren't there... If a girl were here, I'd be concerned not to look foolish'" (Faludi 83). The male cadets within the Citadel argue that including a girl to the school would result in a change in their behavior. As such, since the Citadel is a male-dominated environment, the inclusion of a female would cause a change in behavior among males. They assert that the inclusion of a woman in the class would result in low grades as they will feel embarrassed to answer questions in class. This argument seems strange because their motto is "2.0 and then go" (Faludi 82), implying that they do not do well already in school.

According to Gladwell, the behavior of a person is not determined by the person's genetics or past experienced but rather by the social environment. He notes, "Behaviour is a function of social context" (Gladwell 159). Therefore, the people within the immediate environment can have an immense contribution to a person's immediate physical environment. The immediate environment could also be social as it involves living and interaction. Most fundamentally, Faludi highlights the various behaviors of control that are displayed within the Citadel. For instance, in the 'four-class system, Faludi indicates how the freshmen in the regimen would be stripped off their identity to create a new, 'whole man' (Faludi 181). This is essential since it demonstrates the importance of character when talking about control since the upperclassmen require to change the morals, overall behavior as well as the beliefs of the cadets.

In the case of the hazing, the upperclassmen are likely to target their violent behaviors in a manner as to send some strong messages. Rather than picking some cadets who are of less importance, they directly target the freshman athlete. Faludi describes such bizarre incidences by saying, 'a member of the cycling team was forced to hang by his fingers over a sword poised two inches below his testicles" (Faludi 186). This is vital because the upperclassmen demonstrated that they are not afraid of anybody and can even take control of even some of the most prominent underclassmen. Fundamentally, the upperclassmen show that they do not act on some mere impulses, but they instead craft ingenious plots that significantly affect the freshman population. They proved that they are capable of changing the normal freshman by simply stripping off his essential beliefs and roots. The upperclassmen reveal that their actions have an impact through placing the cadets in some cruel environment so that they mold them in a manner that may deem fit.

"The military stage offers a false front and welcome trapdoor- an escape hatch from the social burdens of traditional masculinity" (Faludi 210). From the quote, it is essential to note that the citadel environment gave various cadets the notion of being ideal men. However, in reality, those cadets feel more womanly and emotional than masculine. The cadets are more motherly towards other cadets through assisting each other, even if it is a personal challenge. On the other side, the upperclassmen cadets engulfed their emotional sides through acting masculine but being abusive to the freshman.

Therefore, the people within the immediate environment can have an immense contribution to a person's immediate physical environment. The immediate environment could also be social as it involves living and interaction. Gladwell Malcolm notes, "Another is the rule that so many of the cadets say brought them to this Moorish-style, gated campus: Girls keep out (Faludi 71). This enables them to behave more harshly, while sometimes they become nurturing towards each other. As such, the changes observed in the cadets are not because of anything in their consciousness or another underlying problem but due to societal change. The immediate environment could also be social as it involves living and interaction.

Azar Nafisi, through her story, 'Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran.' is also interested in understanding how the environment influenced the behavior of an individual. She begins by characterizing her students as they get into her home. She presents one student Mahshid who had been jailed due to her 'affiliation with a dissident religious organization' (Nafisi 13). Azin, however, is portrayed as sporting a kimono-style role wearing golden earrings and a pink lipstick. The juxtaposition between the two females demonstrates that dress, beliefs prevail despite the attempt to be classified as only Muslim women by the regime. As such, Nafisi demonstrates through the characters that the environment plays an essential role in the determination of a person's behavior. This conforms with Gladwell's theory that "when it comes to interpreting other people's behavior, human beings invariably make the mistake of overestimating the importance of fundamental character traits and underestimating the importance of the situation and context" (Gladwell, 245).

Conclusion

In conclusion, 'The Naked Citadel' by Faludi accurately explores the rationality behind group behavior and identity. Her article can be adopted in testing out Gladwell's theory because it could be that the cadets in The Citadel may have been reacting based on the immediate environment. Faludi highlights the various behaviors of control that are displayed within the Citadel. The citadel environment gave various cadets the notion of being ideal men. However, in reality, those cadets feel more womanly and emotional than masculine.

For instance, in the 'four-class system, Faludi indicates how the freshmen in the regimen would be stripped of their identity to create a new one. The surrounding Citadel also promotes violence through the separation of the cadets from the usual social conventions as well as boundaries. As such, the work demonstrated how Gladwell would respond to the argument that behavior can be attributed to abstract concepts like whiteness or masculinity.

Works Cited

Faludi, Susan. "The naked citadel." The New Yorker 5.September (1994).

Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime," The Tipping Point: Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Boston: Little Brown, and Co. 2000, 133-68

Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008.