1. Collective Behavior and Social Movements

2. Collective Behavior
Voluntary, often spontaneous activity that is engaged in by a large number of people and typically violates dominant group norms and values
Types of collective behavior may be distinguished by the dominant emotion expressed.
In contrast, institutionalized behavior refers to activity that is guided by firmly established norms.
Going to school, movies, working etc.

3. The Collective Behavior Continuum

4. Factors That Contribute to Collective Behavior
Structural factors that increase the chances of people responding in a particular way
Timing
Breakdown in social control mechanisms and corresponding feeling of normlessness

5. Explaining Collective Behavior
Value-Added Theory (Neil Smelser)
Argued that 6 conditions must be present for collective behavior to occur:
Society is structurally conducive to the occurrence of collective behavior
Structural strain
Generalized belief of what is wrong and what could be done
Precipitating incident sparks collective behavior
Mobilization of action
Agents of social control conducive to the collective action

6. Value-Added Theory Example
The Los Angeles Riots (1992)
The 1st amendment to the constitution gave rioters the right to assemble.
There was a long time strain between the LAPD and the local African American population.
A general feeling already existed that the social ills faced by African Americans were the product of Racism, then came the acquittal of the four officers charged with beating Rodney King.
Once a few started to act and television gave coverage to them, the activity started to spread.
Early inaction by the police prolonged events and allowed it to grow.

7. Crowds v. Masses
Crowd – a relatively large number of people who are in one another’s immediate vicinity
Mass – a number of people who share an interest in a specific idea or issue but who are not in one another’s immediate vicinity (for example, bloggers)

8. Types of Crowds
Casual crowds - people who happen to be in the same place at the same time, may share momentary interest and a few emergent norms (e.g., people in a subway car or at a shopping mall)
Conventional crowds - people who come together for a scheduled event; share a common focus and generally act in line with institutionalized norms (e.g., people at a concert, college lecture, or ceremony)

9. Types of Crowds (cont’d.)
Expressive crowds - people releasing emotions with others who experience similar emotions; dominant expression is joy (e.g., Mardi Gras, New Year’s)
Acting crowds - collectivities so emotionally focused that they may erupt into violent behavior; hostility toward a singular target as in a mob, or a range of shifting targets as in a riot
Protest crowds - crowds that engage in activities intended to achieve political goals, generally non-violent and contain leadership (e.g., sit-ins)

10. Explanations of Crowd Behavior
Contagion Theory - People are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior in a crowd because they are anonymous and feel invulnerable. Crowd excitement is contagious and breaks down the restraint of individuals. Collective behavior is understood as irrational, people will do things in a collectivity that they will not do alone.

11. Explanations of Crowd Behavior
Emergent norm theory - tied to Symbolic Interactionism. When expectations are vague, crowds develop their own definition of the situation and establish norms for behavior that fits the occasion. Collective behavior is understood as rational, and people are free to leave if crowd behavior begins to offend them.

12. Types of Mass Behavior Rumors and Gossip Mass Hysteria
Unverified information passed informally from person to person
Sociologists ask how rumors serve to solve problems and reduce anxiety
Thrive in times of uncertainty
Gossip - rumors about personal affairs
Urban Legend - rumors recounting scary events, often offer life lessons
Mass Hysteria
Intense, fearful, and seemingly irrational reaction to a perceived—but often misunderstood or imaginary—threat
Fads and Fashions
Periodic popularity of styles
Occurs most frequently in modern societies where change is appreciated
Public Opinion
Attitudes and beliefs communicated by ordinary citizens to decision makers

13. Mass Hysteria and Panic: The War of the Worlds
Halloween Eve, 1938
Actor Orson Welles performed a radio dramatization of H.G. Wells’s science-fiction classic The War of the Worlds.
CBS radio dance music program suddenly interrupted by a news bulletin informing the audience that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were conquering Earth.
Although listeners informed before, during, and after the broadcast that this was fictitious dramatization, many became fearful. An estimated 1 million of the 10 million listeners believed that these events had actually occurred.
Halloween Eve, 1988
A Portuguese radio station rebroadcast the original program on the 50th anniversary, and again panic ensued.

14. Social Movement
An organized group that acts consciously to promote or resist change through collective action (using at least some unconventional or uninstitutionalized methods)

15. Propaganda
Information provided by individuals or groups that have a vested interest in furthering their own cause or damaging an opposing one.

16. Types of Social Movements
Revolutionary movements seek to bring about a total change in society.
Reactionary movements try and reverse current social trends.
Conservative movements try to protect what they see as society’s prevailing values from change that they consider to be a threat to those values.
Revisionary movements is to improve, or revise, some part of society through social change.

17. Stages in Social Movements
Preliminary stage - people begin to become aware of a threatening problem.
Coalescence stage - people begin to organize and start making the threat known to the public.
Institutionalization stage - organizational structure develops.

18. Social Movement Theories
Relative Deprivation
People compare achievements, become discontent and join social movements to get their “fair share”.
Resource Mobilization
People participate in social movements when the movement has access to key resources.
New Social Movement
Focus on sources of social movements, including politics, ideology, and culture.
Social Construction Theory: Frame Analysis
Used to determine how people assign meaning to activities and processes in social movements.

19. What Types of People Join Social Movements?
Individuals that are deeply committed to a set of goals
Those that support the goals of the movement
Those who enjoy being a part of the social movement (insecure)
Those that are curious about social movement activities
Those that use the social movement’s activities for their own personal interests

20. How are age and education related to support for social movement activity?

21. What type of social movement activities would you support?

22. Review