1 Chapter 22 Collective Behaviour and Social Movements

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3 Theories of Collective Behaviour Collective behaviour: as the relatively spontaneous and unstructured behaviour of a group of people who are reacting to a common influence in an ambiguous situation (Smelser 1981). Emergent-Norm Perspective ( 緊急規範觀點 ): a collective definition of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour emerges during episodes of collective behaviour.

4 Valued-added perspective ( 價值累加觀點 ): to explain how broad social conditions are transformed in a definite pattern into some form of collective behaviour. Assembling perspective ( 集結觀點 ): seeks to explain how and why people move from different points in space to a common location. (periodic assemblies and non-periodic assemblies)

5 Forms of Collective Behaviour Crowds : are temporary grouping of people in close proximity who share a common focus or interest. Disaster Behaviour ( 災難行為 ): refers to a sudden or disruptive event or set of events that overtaxes a community’s resources so that outside aid is necessary. Fads ( 時髦 ) : are temporary patterns of behaviour involving large numbers of people; Fashions ( 時尚 ) : are pleasurable mass involvements that feature a certain amount of acceptance by society and have a line of historical continuity.

6 A panic ( 恐慌 ) : refer to a fearful arousal or collective flight based on a generalised belief that may or may not be accurate. A craze ( 時狂 ) : refer to an exciting mass involvement that lasts for a relatively long period of time. A rumour ( 謠言 ) : refer to a piece of information gathered informally that is used to interpret an ambiguous situation. Public ( 公眾 ) refers to a dispersed group of people, not necessarily in contact with one another, who share interest in an issue.

7 Public opinion: refers to expressions of attitudes on matters of public policy that are communicated to decision makers. Social movement ( 社會運動 ): refers to organised collective activities to bring about or resist fundamental change in an existing group or society. Relative deprivation ( 相對剝奪 ): defined as the conscious feeling of a negative discrepancy between legitimate expectations and present actualities.

8 Resource mobilisation ( 資源動員 ) : refers to the ways in which a social movement utilities such resources. The success of a movement for change will depend in good part on how effectively it mobilises its resources. New social movements ( 新社會運動 ) : refer to organised collective activities that promote autonomy and self-determination as well as improvements in the quality of life. (women’s movement, lesbian and gay rights, educated, middle-class people are significantly represented)