Collective Behavior &

Social Movements

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Studying Collective
Behavior
Collective behaviorActivity 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

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 dont?

Much collective behavior is transitory

Disasters, rumors, and fads come and go quickly.

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Collectivity
A large number of people whose minimal
interaction occurs in the absence of well-defined
and conventional norms

Localized collectivityPeople 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

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

Crowds
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

Mobs and Riots

MobA highly emotional crowd that
pursues a violent or destructive goal
A lynch mob

RiotA social eruption that is highly

emotional, violent, and undirected
Sports riots, race riots, riots related to social
injustice

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Explaining Crowd Behavior

Le Bons contagion theory
Crowds exert hypnotic influence over their
members. People surrender to a collective
mind as 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

Explaining Crowd Behavior

Convergence theory: The crowd doesnt
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.
Crowds can intensify a sentiment simply by
creating a critical mass of like-minded people.

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Explaining Crowd Behavior

Turner & Killians 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

Mass Behavior
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

Rumor and Gossip

RumorUnconfirmed information people
spread informally, often by word of mouth
Thrives in a climate of ambiguity
Is unstable
Is difficult to stop

GossipRumor about peoples 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

Public Opinion & Propaganda

Public opinionWidespread attitudes
about controversial issues
Some people have no opinion at all.
Even on some important issues, a majority
of people have no clear opinion.

PropagandaInformation 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

Fashions and Fads

FashionA social pattern favored by a large
number of people
Traditional style gives way to changing fashion in
industrial societies.
Veblen: Conspicuous consumptionpeople buying
expensive products to show off their wealth

FadsAn unconventional social pattern that

people embrace briefly but enthusiastically
Sometimes called crazes

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Panic & Mass Hysteria

PanicA 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 hysteriaA 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

Disasters

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

Eriksons 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

Types of Social Movements

Social movementAn 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

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

Figure 23.1
Four Types of Social Movements
There are four types of social movements, reflecting who is changed and how great the change is.
Source: Based on Aberle (1966)

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

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

Explaining Social Movements

Deprivation theory: Social movements
seeking change arise among people
who feel deprived
Relative deprivationA 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

Explaining Social Movements

Kornhausers 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 socialjustice issues that movements address

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Explaining Social Movements

Smelsers Structural-Strain Theory
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

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

National Map 23.1

Virtual March: Political Mobilization across the United States

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

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 and have committed members
Overstates the extent to which powerful people
are willing to challenge the status quo

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

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

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
Doesnt 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

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 todays 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

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
lifeincluding spearheading social
movements.
Freedom Summer in 1964
Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

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

Figure 23.2
Stages in the Lives of Social Movements
Social movements typically go through four stages. The last is decline, which may occur for any of five reasons.

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

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

Summing Up
Theories of Social Movements

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Controversy and Debate

Political Involvement of Students Entering College in 2006: A Survey
First-year college students are mostly younger people who express limited interest in politics.

Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis