Based on some of the responses, it feels like most people have not experienced / cannot imagine a small community exerting moral, behavioural, cultural pressure

Based on some of the responses, it feels like most people have not experienced / cannot imagine a small community exerting moral, behavioural, cultural pressure; either because they haven't been part of such a community or because they haven't been pressured due to pre-existing conformity. Sure, Google/Coca-Cola/BigCorps are hard to change course. But small communities can be far, far nastier to an outsider / different person and sometimes far more insidious / damaging / harder to influence. And it can be difficult to see. My wife has joined a Mommy's group at a neighbouring church; she's gushing how open and welcoming and friendly they all are. Then I asked to consider that a) She happens to be a nominally-christian white middle-class straight anglo-saxon white-collar mother with kids b) How do you think somebody without those characteristics would be welcomed at the church? How many characteristics would have to change for environment to transform? We then read the church's website, attended an actual sermon to see what they heard, and boy oh boy, has her perception of friendly welcoming fellow mommys changed :<. It's all smiles and friendliness until/unless you cross some cultural/instilled/assumed line and norm.