Frog-in-the-water brainwashing

We've all heard that a frog sitting in water that is slowly heated won't jump out. An analogy for cultures is that slow change is possible far beyond that possible through force, or that slow change is more efficient.

It should be possible to manipulate the culture of a group of arbitrary size at a rapid rate thusly:
Divide the group into smaller groups of 8 to 10 people. These smaller groups will form closer bonds than larger groups would.
Now find the largest trade-off of submission for comfort that a large percentage (say 80%) will accept. For example, "I'll give you meat every day if you bow to this statue." This can only be agreed to by the group as a whole. If most groups are accepting the change it should be possible to shuffle around individuals to bring to bear more peer pressure on the more reluctant individuals.
Once this new activity has been accepted as a cultural norm it should be possible to add another step. For example, "you can only have your meat if you bow properly."

This continual re- norming will see each person following any desired set of rules as a matter of course.