Collective Behavior & Social Movements Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Studying Collective Behavior Collective behavior–Activity involving a large number of people that is unplanned, often controversial, and sometimes dangerous Examples: Mobs, riots, panic, mass hysteria, and social movements Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Studying Collective Behavior Collective behavior is diverse A wide range of human action Collective behavior is variable Why do some rumors catch on, but others don’t? Much collective behavior is transitory Disasters, rumors, and fads come and go quickly. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Collectivity A large number of people whose minimal interaction occurs in the absence of well-defined and conventional norms Localized collectivity–People physically close to one another Dispersed collectivity (or mass behavior)–People who influence one another despite being spread over a large area Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

How Collectives Differ from Social Groups Collectives are based on limited social interaction. Interaction in mobs is limited and temporary. Collectives have no clear social boundaries. Little sense of unity compared to social groups whose members often share a common identity Collectives generate weak and unconventional norms. Mobs often destroy and act spontaneously. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Crowds Blummer identified 4 types, we add a 5th: A temporary gathering of people who share a common focus of attention and who influence one another Blummer identified 4 types, we add a 5th: A casual crowd: people on a beach A conventional crowd: a college classroom An expressive crowd: a church service An acting crowd: people fleeing from a fire A protest crowd: a college student sit-in Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Mobs and Riots Mob–A highly emotional crowd that pursues a violent or destructive goal A lynch mob Riot–A social eruption that is highly emotional, violent, and undirected Sports riots, race riots, riots related to social injustice Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Crowd Behavior Le Bon’s contagion theory Crowds exert hypnotic influence over their members, people surrender to a “collective mind” its members rid themselves of inhibitions and act out and the crowd assumes a life of its own Critical review Crowd actions result from the intentions and decisions of specific individuals. Not necessarily irrational Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Crowd Behavior Convergence theory: The crowd doesn’t generate the action, but rather the members themselves stimulate the action of the crowd. Example: neighborhood groups concerned about crime and want to do something about it Critical evaluation Some people do things in a crowd that they would not have the courage to do alone. Crows can intensify a sentiment simply by creating a critical mass of like-minded people. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Crowd Behavior Turner & Killian’s emergent-norm theory People in crowds have mixed interests. In less stable crowds (expressive, acting, and protest), norms might be vague or changing. Critical evaluation Crowd behavior reflects the desires of participants, but is also guided by norms that emerge as the situation unfolds. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Mass Behavior Rumor and gossip Public opinion Propaganda Collective behavior among people dispersed over a wide geographical area Rumor and gossip Public opinion Propaganda Fashions and fads Panic and mass hysteria Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Rumor and Gossip Rumor–Unconfirmed information people spread informally, often by word of mouth Thrives in a climate of ambiguity Is unstable Is difficult to stop Gossip–Rumor about people’s personal affairs Rumors spread widely, but gossip is more localized. A means of social control Too much gossip is discouraged. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Public Opinion & Propaganda Public opinion–Widespread attitudes about controversial issues Some people have no opinion at all. Even on some important issues, a majority of people have no clear opinion. Propaganda–Information presented with the intention of shaping public opinion Thin line between information and propaganda Not all propaganda is false. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Fashions and Fads Fashion–A social pattern favored by a large number of people Traditional style gives way to changing fashion in industrial societies. Veblen: Conspicuous consumption–people buying expensive products to show off their wealth Fads–An unconventional social pattern that people embrace briefly but enthusiastically Sometimes called crazes Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Panic & Mass Hysteria Panic–A form of collective behavior in which people in one place react to a threat or other stimulus with irrational, frantic, and often self-destructive behavior Mass hysteria–A form of dispersed collective behavior by which people respond to a real or imagined event often with irrational and even frantic fear Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Disasters Natural disaster Technological disaster Intentional disaster An event, generally unexpected, that causes extensive harm to people and damage to property Natural disaster Flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc. Technological disaster Oil spills, industrial accidents Intentional disaster War, terrorist attacks, genocide Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Erikson’s Research Three conclusions about the consequences of disasters: Disasters are social events. Social damage is more serious when an event involves a toxic substance. Social damage is most serious when the disaster is caused by others. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Types of Social Movements Social movement–An organized activity that encourages or discourages social change Alternative: Least threatening, limited change for a limited number of members Example: Planned parenthood Redemptive: Selective focus, radical change Example: Some religious organizations Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Types of Social Movements Reformative: Limited social change, targets everyone Example: Equal rights amendment movement Revolutionary: The most extreme, seeks basic transformation of society Example: Ultra-conservative political movements Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Claims Making The process of trying to convince the public and public officials of the importance of joining a social movement to address a particular issue For a social movement to form, some issue has to be defined as a problem that demands public attention. Usually, claims making begins with a small number of people. Example: AIDS Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Deprivation theory: Social movements seeking change arise among people who feel deprived Relative deprivation–A perceived disadvantage arising from some specific comparison Critical evaluation Theory suffers from circular reasoning Focuses exclusively on the cause, telling us little about movements themselves Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Kornhauser’s mass-society theory: Social movements attract socially isolated people who feel personally insignificant. Movements are personal as well as political, giving people with weak social ties a sense of purpose and belonging. Critical evaluation No clear standard for measuring the extent to which we live in a “mass society” Explaining social movements in terms of people hungry to belong ignores the social-justice issues that movements address Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Smelser’s Structural-Strain Theory Structural conduciveness Structural strain Growth and spread of an explanation Precipitating factors Mobilization for action Lack of social control Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Resource-mobilization theory: No social movement is likely to succeed or even get off the ground without substantial resources Critical evaluation Powerless can promote change if they are organized an have committed members Overstates the extent to which powerful people are willing to challenge the status quo Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Culture theory: The recognition that social movements depend not only on material resources and the structure of political power but also on cultural symbols. Critical evaluation Does not address how and when powerful cultural symbols turn people from supporting the system toward protest Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements Political-economy theory: Social movements arise within capitalist societies because the capitalist economic system fails to meet the needs of the majority of people. Critical review Doesn’t explain the recent rise of social movements concerned with non-economic issues such as obesity, animal rights, or the state of the natural environment Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Explaining Social Movements New social movements theory: Recent social movements in the postindustrial societies of North America and Western Europe have a new focus. Most of today’s movements are international. Tends to focus on cultural change and improving social and physical surroundings Draws support from middle and upper classes Critical evaluation Tends to exaggerate differences between past and present social movements Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Gender and Social Movements Gender figures prominently in the operation of social movements. In keeping with traditional ideas about gender in the US, more men than women tend to take part in the public life—including spearheading social movements. “Freedom Summer” in 1964 Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Stages of Social Movements Stage one: Emergence Perception that something is wrong Stage two: Coalescence Defining itself and “going public” Stage three: Bureaucratization Organizing rationally to get job done Stage four: Decline Success Organization failures Leaders “sell out” Crushed by repression Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Social Movements: Looking Ahead Scope of social movements is likely to increase. Protest should increase as groups gain political voice. Information revolution means anyone can be well-informed. Technology uniting people in social movements Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.