Collective BehaviorTypes of behavior and Theories

Collective behavior- relatively spontaneous social behavior that occurs when people try to develop common solutions to unclear situations

Sociologists find difficult to study: Range of material too broad

Ex: lynch mobs, fads, panics, rumors, etc. Collective behavior is relatively short-lived,

spontaneous, and emotional

Characteristics of Collectivities (Groups who exhibit collective behavior)

Three factors that distinguish collectivities from other social groups: Limited interaction- Interaction is limited and

sometimes nonexistent Unclear norms- Norms are unclear or unconventional Limited unity- Do not share group unity

Types of Collective Behavior

• Crowds• Mobs• Riots• Panics• Mass Hysteria• Crazes

• Fashions• Fads• Rumors• Urban Legends• Public Opinion

Crowds- temporary gathering of people who are in close enough proximity to interact

Four classifications of crowds: Casual Crowd- least organized; most temporary; very little

interaction Examples: People waiting in line for a ticket, people at a beach

Conventional Crowd- more structured; may not interact very much, but when they do, they follow norms. Usually have gathered for a purpose. Examples: Funerals, public lecture, game

Expressive Crowd- no apparent goal or purpose; forms around emotionally charged activities, contains behavior that would, in other situations, be considered inappropriate Example: Rock concerts

Acting Crowd- violent, emotions more intense than those in expressive crowd, hostile and destructive and usually focused on one target, usually formed by dramatic event, go against norms Examples: Crowd fights after games

Mob- emotionally charged collectivity whose members are united by a specific destructive or violent goal

Most violent form of an acting crowd

Usually has a leader Urges group toward common

action Enforces conformity among

members

Unstable and last for a short time, but threatens social order and challenges official authority

Example: lynch mobs

Riot- collection of people who erupt into generalized destructive behavior, the result of which is social disorder Violent form of an acting crowd

Less unified and focused than mobs

Often begins when long-standing tensions are triggered by single event Examples:

Riots in Liberty City, Miami after a police officer killed an African American in 1989

Baltimore and Ferguson riots

Riots end when participants exhaust themselves or when officials regain social control

Protest movements are different in that they last longer, continue to work toward same goal, and are better organized

Panic- spontaneous and uncoordinated group action to escape some perceived threat. Triggered by fear; usually when people believe that their means

of escape are limited or soon to be closed off

Fear of being trapped leads to faulty communication about threat which fuels fear and keeps people from forming logical escape plans

Mutual cooperation breaks down; norms are lost

Most likely will occur in situations that are outside of everyday life: fires, floods, earthquakes Example: Fire at Chicago’s Iroquois Theater in 1903

Sometime can be avoided when a leader emerges who can direct the people’s behavior

Moral Panic- when people become fearful about behavior that appears to threaten society’s core values Mass media often identifies the behavior and casts it

as a major social/moral crisis. Due to this, public demands action to stamp out behavior

Usually short-lived; replaced by another more current public concern

Example: In early ‘60s, the British launched a moral campaign against the “mods” and the “rockers”

Mass Hysteria- unfounded anxiety shared by people who are scattered over a wide geographic area

Formed by fear; irrational beliefs and behaviors spread among population, sometimes fueled by media

Short lived

Example: Salem Witch Trials

Fashions- enthusiastic attachments among large numbers of people for particular styles of appearance or behavior

Most related to clothing

Short lived; subject to continual change

Fashions prominent in industrial societies Change is valued; associated with progress Emphasis on social mobility

Preindustrial societies everyone of the same sex and age dresses alike. Styles change little

Fad- unconventional object, action, or idea that a large number of people are attached to for a very short period of time Less predictable and enduring than fashions

Sociologist John Lofland divided fads: Objects: hula hoops, pet rocks, mood rings, beanie babies,

Pokémon cards Activities: swallowing goldfish, crowding into telephone booths,

eating light bulbs Ideas Personalities

Generally taken on by the young A way to assert personal identities

Die out when they become uninteresting to public or so mainstream that they no longer bring interest to participants

Rumor- unverified piece of information that is spread rapidly from one person to another Form of collective communication

Thrive when people do not have definitive facts

Content changes from person to person

Die out when proof about the subject is found

Example: The rumor of Paul McCartney being killed and then replaced in The Beatles with a lookalike

Urban Legends- stories that teach a lesson and seem realistic but are untrue Form of collective communication

Attributed to specific times and places

Quickly become a sort of urban folklore, purpose of which is to clarify situations by teaching moral lessons

Example: “The Boyfriend’s Death” Teaches that teenagers should not park in secluded

places Represents uneasiness parents have about teenagers

driving and having freedom

Public Opinion- collection of differing attitudes that members of a public have about a particular issue

Form of collective behavior that primarily depends on communication

Public- group of geographically scattered people who are concerned with or engaged in a particular issue

Rapidly change because people’s opinions change

Important for politicians, businesses, and special interest groups Spend billions each year to influence public opinion

Use propaganda- organized and deliberate attempt to shape public opinion

Propaganda Testimonials- use of endorsements by famous people to sell

products or secure votes. Goal: persuade people to transfer admiration for celebrity to

products or candidates endorsed by celebrity

Transfer- attempt to associate a product or candidate with something that the public approves or respects

Bandwagon- appeals to public’s desire to conform

Name calling- use of negative labels or images in order to make competitors appear in an unfavorable light

Plain-folks appeal- attempt to sway public opinion by appealing to average American

Glittering generalities- use of words that sound positive but have little real meaning

Card Stacking- presenting facts in a way that places politicians or products in a favorable light

Explaining Collective Behavior• Contagion Theory• Emergent-Norm Theory• Value-Added Theory

Contagion Theory Developed by Gustave LeBon

Hypnotic power of a crowd encourages people to become anonymous and to have no willpower or sense of responsibility

Crowd becomes singular with one collective mind

Three factors: Because of number, individuals gain an anonymity that makes

them unconquerable Spread of emotion is rapid and contagious it overtakes

individuals Members enter state of suggestibility; unconscious of actions

Become receptive to manipulations of charismatic leaders

Limitations of theory: Studies show no indication of collective mind exiting in crowds Behavior in crowds not as uniform as LeBon suggested

Theory is helpful in explaining how behavior spreads and how emotions work to encourage people toward collective action

Emergent-Norm Theory

Developed by Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian

Members of crowd have different attitudes, behaviors, and motivations

People in crowd are faced with a situation in which traditional norms of behavior do not apply. Norms are unclear, so new norms gradually emerge

when one or more leaders initiate new behaviors New norms provide common motivation for group action

where none existed before

Value-Added Theory Developed by sociologist Neil Smelser who borrowed the value-

added concept taken from economics

Six steps that build on one another and necessary for the next to occur. The first four set the stage for people to act. Structural conduciveness- the surrounding social structure that

makes it possible for a particular type of collective behavior to occur Structural strain- social conditions that put strain on people and thus

encourage them to seek some collective means of relief Conditions like poverty, overcrowding, discrimination, and conflict

Growth and spread of a generalized belief- people identify the problem, form opinions about it, and share feelings of dealing with it

Precipitating factors- triggering mechanisms that set off the behavior Mobilization for action- people gather to express their opinions

through behavior Social Control- a mechanism used to control or minimize a situation