Download Chapter 8: Collective Behavior and Social Movements

Chapter 8: Collective Behavior and
Social Movements
COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
Collective behavior--voluntary behavior of
large numbers of people that often occurs
spontaneously and which frequently violates
the norms and values of dominant culture.
Collectivity--a relatively large number of
people whose interactions and behaviors
may undermine or bypass established
patterns of behavior.
TYPES OF COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
Crowd--a temporary gathering of a large number of people who

share a common focus of activity or attention and who influence
each other. Types:
Conventional crowd--group of people who come together for a
scheduled event.

Casual crowd--large number of people who happen to be in the same
place at the same time, though they may interact little if at all, such as
people gathered in a shopping mall.


Expressive crowd--provides the opportunity to express pent-up emotions.
Protest crowd--activities are directed toward the achievement of specific
political aims.
ACTING CROWD
Three forms:
 Panic--a form of crowd behavior that
occurs when a large number of people
perceive a threat – either real or imagined
– and react with strong emotions and often
self-destructive behavior.
 Riot--a collectivity acting violently as a
result of deeply held emotions, but whose
behavior isn’t directed at a specific target
 Mob---- is highly emotional crowd whose
members engage in or intend to engage in
violent behavior directed toward a specific
target.
THEORIES OF CROWD BEHAVIOR
Contagion theory--views crowds as providing their members with a
cloak of anonymity, which in turn enables people to abandon personal
responsibility for their actions and to behave in irrational and irresponsible
.
Convergence theory--states that people bring like-minded
ways
behavioral expectations into a crowd setting.
Emergent norm theory--stresses that the behavior of
crowds is varied and difficult to predict.
MASS BEHAVIOR
Mass--large number of people who share a
specific interest or activity but who are
spatially dispersed.
Mass behavior--collective behavior among
people who are spatially dispersed from one
another. Several forms.
FORMS OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Rumors--unsubstantiated
information about a
subject that is spread
informally.
Gossip--rumor about an
individual’s personal
affairs.
FORMS OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Mass Hysteria--is a form of
dispersed – rather than
concentrated in a crowd –
collective behavior whereby
people respond to a real or
imagined threat with
irrational and often selfdestructive behavior.
http://www.salemwitchmuseum.
com/about.html
Salem Witch Museum
TYPES OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Mass Suicide--three or
more people killing
themselves together.
They have a common
element of interest;
and, all or nearly all of
the members agree to
commit suicide at the
same time.
http://www.anw.com/haleb
opp/heaven.htm
Heavens Gate member’s appearance
after suicide.
TYPES OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Fashion and Fads--form of
behavior that is widely and
enthusiastically copied but which
lasts only a short period of time.
They represent change that has a
less consequential impact than
other types of social change and
are, more often than not, seen as
harmless fun.
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/du
cktail.htm
TYPES OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Public Opinion--consists
of widespread attitudes
and beliefs among a
population, frequently
involving controversial
issues, which often are
communicated to policy
makers.
http://www.datausainc.com/inde
x.htm
TYPES OF MASS BEHAVIOR
Propaganda--a deliberate attempt by a
collective or an individual to
shape, control, or change the
attitudes of other collectives or
individuals by the use of some
form of communication.
Propaganda:

is deliberate;

aims to control or alter people’s
attitudes;

aims to produce predictable
behavior by those who have had
their attitudes controlled or
changed; and

does not depend on violence or
bribery.
http://carmen.artsci.washington.e
du/propaganda/transfer.htm
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Social Movement--people organized to act
collectively and intentionally in order to
promote or resist social change and who are
willing to use non-institutionalized means
such as protest demonstrations and civil
disobedience to achieve their aims.
TYPES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Reform Movements-seek a specified
change in a society that
would apply to all
members of that
society.
http://www.madd.org/home/
TYPES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Revolutionary
Movements--seek
widespread, total
change in a society.
Such movements
typically work outside
established, institutional
channels in an attempt
to dramatically remake
society.
http://www.geocities.com/Colleg
ePark/Classroom/9912/malcol
mx.html
Malcolm X
TYPES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Expressive
Movements--seek to
produce substantive
change within
individuals, rather than
in society at large.
http://www.recoveryemporium.co
m/
TYPES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Alternative Movements-seek limited changes
within individuals or in
some aspect of their
behavior.
http://www.promisekeepers.org/
A million men at the cross.
STAGES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS




Emergence--dissatisfaction and concern exist among a group
of people who believe that change is both necessary as well as
holding the promise of success.
Coalescence--construct a vision for the movement as well as a
strategy and tactics to achieve their goals. Organizations within
the movement begin to emerge and solidify during this stage.
Bureaucratization--movement organizations become
formalized and professionalized.
Decline--movements change over time. They decline for a
variety of reasons.
THEORIES OF SOCIAL
MOVEMENTS
Relative Deprivation-social movements
emerge among
segments of the
population that feel
deprived of rights,
privileges, and
possessions they
believed are enjoyed by
other members of the
society.
Social inequality on Wall Street
THEORIES OF SOCIAL
MOVEMENTS
Structural Strain--identifies six factors that encourage the
development of social movements. These factors are additive; each
must be present in order for a movement to emerge. These factors
are:






Structural conduciveness
Structural strain
Generalized belief
Precipitating factors
Mobilization for action
Weakened social control
THEORIES OF SOCIAL
MOVEMENTS
Resource Mobilization
theory--focuses on the
role that resources play
in the emergence and
success of social
movements
THEORIES OF SOCIAL
MOVEMENTS
New Social Movements theory-points out that many
contemporary movements are
substantively different from
older social movements. Many
modern movements span
national boundaries, such as
the environmental movement,
the peace movement, and the
gay and lesbian movement.
http://www.ngltf.org/index.cfm