Social Authority, Group 1

by Michal, Gavin, Ben, Shaojie

Social authority is an authority that stems from social consensus, social pressure, shared background and rules that have been established in the society over time.

• Social authority is fluid - it easily adapts to new situations.
• It does not require government.
• Influence on people stems from people themselves. 
• Social authority is acquired naturally; it does not require a standardized process to get it.
• It exists purely from social consensus, and it is based on unwritten rules, habits, and values of people.
• Somebody might possess authority only because of the social census which originates in rooted understanding of authority as truth.
• Social authority is not guaranteed, it can be easily lost or gained.
• There is no designated punishment for breaking the rules of social authority.
• You are able to move between social environments, which results in social authority over you shifting.