Collective Behavior

Collective behavior activities involving large number of people often spontaneous typically in violation of established social norms based on limited social interaction no clear social boundaries no common identity

Crowds Temporary Gathering of People Who Share Common Focus of Attention Members Influence One Another HERBERT BLUMMER Identified 4 types, 5TH added later CASUAL CROWD: ie: people on beach loose collection of people CONVENTIONAL CROWD:ie: classroom meets for specific purpose EXPRESSIVE CROWD: ie: concert/sports event emotional appeal event ACTING CROWD:ie: fleeing a fire collectivity fueled by intense, single-minded purpose PROTEST CROWD: ie: sit-in, march, strike, boycott

When Acting Crowds Turn Violent Mob Emotional crowd that pursues violent or destructive goal Lynch mob Riots Social eruption that is highly emotional, violent & undirected after Katrina

Theories of Crowd Behavior Contagion theory Convergence theory Emergent-norm theory

Contagion Theory Gustave Le Bon’s Crowds exert hypnotic influence over their members, people surrender to “collective mind” members rid themselves of inhibitions and act out crowd >life of its own Critical evaluation Not necessarily irrational Specific individuals take leadership

Convergence theory Motivations are brought to crowd by individual members, not vice versa Crowds>convergence of like-minded people Crowd doesn’t generate action, rather members stimulate action of crowd ie: groups concerned about crime Critical evaluation People do things in crowd they would not do alone Risky Shift Phenomenon Crowds can intensify sentiment simply by creating critical mass of like-minded people

Emergent-norm theory Turner & Killian’s People have mixed interests In less stable crowds (expressive, acting, and protest), norms may be vague or changing one does something and others jump on “bandwagon” people make their own rules as they go along Critical evaluation Symbolic-interaction approach that points out that people take on different roles

Mass Behavior Rumor and gossip Public opinion Propaganda Panic Collective behavior among people dispersed over wide geographical area Types include Rumor and gossip Public opinion Propaganda Panic Mass hysteria Fads and fashions

Rumor and Gossip Rumor – unsubstantiated information people spread informally, often by word of mouth Thrives in climate of ambiguity Unstable Difficult to stop Gossip – personal affairs of others Concerns small circle of people Rumors spread widely, gossip more localized Used to praise or scorn someone Used to raise one’s standing or keep in their place

Public Opinion & Propaganda Public opinion – widespread attitudes about controversial issues Any given issue from 2–10% of Americans report they hold no opinion Is this due to ignorance or indifference? Not everyone’s opinion carries same weight Experts in field Propaganda–information presented with intention of shaping public opinion Thin line between info & propaganda Not all propaganda is false

Panic & Mass Hysteria Panic Mass hysteria Localized collective behavior by which people react to perceived threat or other stimulus with irrational, frantic, and often self-destructive behavior Mass hysteria Dispersed collective behavior by which people respond to real or imagined event often with irrational and even frantic fear

Fashions and Fads Fashions Fads Social pattern favored at time by large # of people Fashion characterizes all forms of art Traditional style gives way to changing fashion Can trickle down through less expensive copies Conspicuous Consumption Veblen’s Theory- people buy expensive products to show-off wealth Fads Unconventional social pattern people embrace briefly but enthusiastically Sometimes called crazes