Professor Vicky Herbel October 8, 2014 St. Charles Community College Collective Behavior and Acting Crowds: a sociological understanding of Ferguson, MO Professor Vicky Herbel October 8, 2014 St. Charles Community College

Actions by a group of people who bypass the usual norms governing their behavior and do something unusual (Turner and Killian 1987; Harper and Leicht 2002). Collective Behavior

Forms Of Collective Behavior Riots Rumors Panics Mass Hysteria Moral Panics Fads & Fashions Urban Legends Forms Of Collective Behavior

How Crowds Change People Charles Mackay (1814-1889), a British journalist, noticed that “country folks”, who ordinarily are reasonable sorts of people, sometimes “went mad” and did “disgraceful and violent things” when they formed a crowd. “Herd mentality - stampede How Crowds Change People

About 50 years later, Gustave LeBon (1841- 1931), a French psychologist, built on this idea. He stressed how people feel anonymous in crowds, less accountable for their behavior. Some develop feelings of invincibility. A “collective mind” develops and people are swept up by almost any suggestion. Then contagion, like mass hypnosis, takes over! Collective Mind

Robert Park (1864-1944), a U.S. sociologist added the idea of social unrest. “Social unrest…is transmitted from one individual to another…so that the manifestation of discontent in A [are] communicated to B, and from B reflected back to A (Park and Burgess 1921). Social Unrest

The back and forth communication between members of a crowd. It creates a “collective impulse” that comes to “dominate all members of the crowd.” Circular Reaction

The Acting Crowd An excited group that moves toward a goal. Herbert Blumer (1900-1987) identified 5 stages that precede the acting crowd. A background of tension or unrest. An exciting event. Milling – people standing or walking around, talking about the exciting event. A common object of attention. Common impulses – stimulated by social contagion. The Acting Crowd

Acting crowds aren’t always negative or destructive. Organized and peaceful demonstrations can fit the definition of an Acting Crowd. Acting Crowds

Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian (1987) use the term Emergent Norms to express the idea that life usually proceeds pretty much as we expect. If something unusual disrupts our usual life, however, ordinary norms may not cover the new situation. To deal with new events, new norms may emerge. Not everyone in a crowd shares the same point of view. Emergent Norms

Turner and Killian (1987) point out crowds have at least 5 kinds of participants. Ego involved – have a personal stake in the event Concerned – personal interest but less so than ego-involved Insecure – care little about the matter but join the crowd for a sense of power, security, or belonging Curious spectators – simply curious about what’s going on Exploiters – use the event for their own purposes, perhaps even capitalize on the event Crowd Participation

Exploitation