Collective Behavior

Chapter 17, section 1

Collective Behavior

IntroductionIn general, social behavior is patterned and

predictable.

Collective Behavior:when social behavior is not patterned

and predictablepeople make up new norms as they go

along in unclear situationsshort lived, spontaneous, and emotional

Characteristics of CollectivesLimited Interaction: short or non-existent

Unclear Norms: no set rules

Limited Unity: seldom share a group identity

There are many different types of collectives.

CrowdDefinition: a temporary gathering of peopleCasual Crowd: least organized, most temporary

Example: lines to buy movie ticketsConventional Crowd: more structured, gather

for a common reasonExample: funeral, ball game

Expressive Crowd: no apparent goal or purpose; common behavior includes cheering, dancing, and/or shoutingExample: concert

Acting Crowd: violent; intense emotions which are usually hostile, destructive, and focused on one targetExamples follow

MobThe most violent form of an acting crowdUnited by a violent goalUsually has a leader or leadersGenerally unstable and limited

Example: lynch mobs

More Acting CrowdsRiots: erupt into generalized destructive

behavior; less unified and focused than mobs; participants lack powerExample: LA riots after the Rodney King beatings

Panics: triggered by fearExample: Chicago Fire of 1903

Moral Panics: people become fearful, without reason, about behavior that appears to threaten society’s core valuesExample: Gay Marriage concerns

Mass Hysteria: an unfounded anxiety shared by people scattered over a wide geographic area; involves irrational beliefs and behaviors spread by the population and fueled by the media; short livedExample: swine flu

Fashions: enthusiastic attachments among large numbers of people for particular styles of appearance or behavior; subject to changeExample: grunge look

Fads: an unconventional object, action, or idea that a large number of people are attached to for a very short timeExample: mood rings; pet rocks

Rumors: an unverified piece of information that is spread rapidly from one person to another; changes from person to personExample: news about a classmate

Urban Legends: stories that teach a lesson and seem realistic, but are untrueExample: bring one in for homework!

Public Opinion: the collection of differing attitudes that members of a group of geographically scattered people have about a particular issue; often influenced by propagandaExample: views on equality

Explaining Collective BehaviorContagion Theory: crowds are so hypnotic,

people give up their individualityEmergent-Norm Theory: traditional norms

don’t apply in this crowd, so people have to act quickly

Value-Added Theory: the pre-conditions for collective behavior build on one another—see next slide

Pre-Conditions Structural ConducivenessStructural StrainGrowth and Spread of a Generalized

BeliefPrecipitating FactorsMobilization for ActionSocial Control