Collective Behavior and Social Movements

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.

The Collective Behavior Continuum

Factors That Contribute to Collective Behavior

1. Structural factors that increase the chances of people responding in a particular way

2. Timing3. Breakdown in social control

mechanisms and corresponding feeling of normlessness

Explaining Collective Behavior

Value-Added Theory (Neil Smelser)Argued that 6 conditions must be present for

collective behavior to occur:1. Society is structurally conducive to the

occurrence of collective behavior2. Structural strain3. Generalized belief of what is wrong and what

could be done4. Precipitating incident sparks collective

behavior5. Mobilization of action6. Agents of social control conducive to the

collective action

Value-Added Theory ExampleThe 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.

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)

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)

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)

Explanations of Crowd BehaviorContagion 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.

Explanations of Crowd BehaviorEmergent 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.

Types of Mass Behavior Rumors and Gossip

• 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

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.

Social Movement

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

Propaganda

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

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.

Stages in Social MovementsPreliminary 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.

Social Movement TheoriesRelative 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.

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

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

What type of social movement activities would you support?

Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPV1NWA_16s