Download SOC ch17

Collective Behavior
and Social Movements
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Collective Behavior
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Social behavior is usually patterned and
predictable
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Act in accordance to societal norms
What about situations with unclear norms?
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Collective behavior- when people make up
their own norms in unclear situations
Collectivities vs Crowds
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Collectivity - groups that exhibit collective
behavior
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Limited interaction with each other
Unclear norms
Limited unity
Crowd - temporary gathering of people who are
in close enough proximity to interact
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Casual - waiting in line, beach
Conventional - athletic event
Expressive - concerts
Acting - violence breaks out
Mobs, Riots, Panics, Mass
Hysteria
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Using the textbook find the definitions and
examples of these terms
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Then work with your table and determine
what all of these groups have in common
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Besides involving people! (^_~)
Fashions and Fads
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Fashion - enthusiastic attachments for a large
number of people to a particular style of
appearance
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Fads - unconventional object, action or idea that
a large number of people are attached to for a
short period of time
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Less predictable than fashions
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Fashions and Fads
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What makes something “popular”?
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Who in our culture has the strongest
influence on fashions and fads?
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How do we view people who purposefully
refuse to give in to a fad? Why?
Rumors
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Unverified piece of information that is spread
rapidly from one person to another.
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Survive best when large numbers of people lack
definite information about a subject
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As a rumor changes, it reflects the biases of
each person who retells it
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Can resurface after years based upon audience
and their knowledge
Common Rumors
Urban Legends
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Stories that seem realistic and teach a
lesson, but are untrue
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Attributed to a specific time or place
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What are some common urban legends?
Propaganda
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Has been used for centuries to promote
one group over another.
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Some historians believe it may even have
roots in Ancient Rome
Why would a group want to twist the
facts/reality?
Propaganda
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Japanese Relocation Project
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Watch the video
Answer questions about what you have
seen
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Pay attention both to what is said and how
it is phrased!
Propaganda
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Organized and deliberate attempt to shape
public opinion
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Testimony - speakers, celebrities
Transfer - association to something approved of
Bandwagon - everybody’s doing it!
Name calling - make ‘em look bad
Plain-folks appeal - the average America
Glittering generalities - sounds great, means nothing
Card stacking - organize favorably
Propaganda
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Why is it so effective?
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Do most people realize it’s happening?
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Other than political ads, where else can
propaganda be found?
Propaganda in
Action
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Watch 10-15 minutes of TV
Identify 10 examples of propaganda
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What is being pushed?
Is it effective?
Specify which type
Testimony
 Transfer
 Bandwagon
 Name calling
 Plain-folks appeal
 Glittering generalities
 Card stacking
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Why does collective behavior occur?
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3 theories
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Contagion theory
Emergent-Norm theory
Value-Added theory
Contagion Theory
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The power of a crowd encourages people
to give up their individuality to the pull of
the group
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Individuals lose willpower and sense of
responsibility
Crowd acts like one organism
People are easily swayed by a
persuasive/charismatic leader
Emergent-Norm Theory
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No norms are readily available in a large
crowd, so new norms are formed
Leaders initiate new behaviors and others
begin to follow
Even though individuals may disagree with
the action, they may conform to the group
Value-Added theory
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Collective behavior can be predicted or steered
down a specific path if conditions are correct
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Structural conduciveness- if society makes a
behavior possible
Structural strain- social conditions that may
drive some to seek relief
Growth and spread of a belief
Precipitation factors- triggering events
Mobilization for action
Social control
Social Movements
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Deliberate and long-lasting forms of
collective behavior
Long-term conscious effort to promote or
prevent social change
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Reactionary
Conservative
Revisionary
Revolutionary
Reactionary Movements
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Goal: to reverse social trends
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Suspicious and hostile toward change
May use fear and violence in support of a
cause
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Examples:
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Conservative Movements
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Want to protect what they see as society’s
values
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Traditional family values
Examples:
Revisionary Movements
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Improve or revise a part of society
Use legal channels to cause change
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Easy to do - they usually focus on a single
issue
Examples:
Revolutionary Movements
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Total and radical change of the existing
structure
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Usually violent or illegal and can result in
drastic social change
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Want to put their own structure in place
Occurs when there is no chance for reform
Examples:
Social Movement
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Create your own social movement
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Answer the questions on the handout
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Create 2 posters/slogans to publicize your
movement
Common Sense
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Read the excerpt from Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense
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Answer the following:
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Find examples of reactionary, conservative, revisionary
and revolutionary movements within the excerpt.
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How is the American Revolution a social movement?
How does it fit the criteria of the 4 types?
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What types of propaganda did Thomas Paine use?
HOMEWORK
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Print out a (brief) history of a social
movement
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Examples: civil rights, women’s suffrage,
prohibition, labor unions, Fair Trade/Organic,
LGBT, Tea Party, To Write Love On Her Arms,
You may use wikipedia (sigh)
Life Cycle of a Social Movement
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Agitation
Legitimation
Bureaucratization
Institutionalization
Bureaucratization
Agitation
- Public awareness
increases
- Movement develops
structure, policies and
strategies for the future
- Look for support and
resources
- Focus can turn day-to-day
rather than original goals
Legitimation
- Gains acceptance
- Recognized by
government and media
- Support continues to
increase
Institutionalization
- Movement becomes a part of society
- Leaders lose focus of movement and
care more about themselves
- Movement begins resisting change
Explaining Social Movements
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Using the social movement life cycle,
chronicle the story of the social movement
you chose
Set it up as a timeline (years or months)
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Identify the group
Explain their goal
Identify the 4 stages