CHaPTeR SeVeN:

CoLLeCTiVe BeHaVioR
aND
SoCiaL MoVeMeNTS
DEFINITION AND CONDITIONS
OF COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR

The term collective behavior designates the study of

relatively unstructured social situations and the and their
products, such as crowds, riotism revivals, rumor, public opinions.
Fads and social movements. These phenomena are not fully
controlled by cultural norms, and ordered social relations. They
are characteristically open to the free play of emotions, a high
degree of personal interaction and influence, the give and take of
political competition and the emergence of transitory opinions and
allegiance.

Through collective behavior, new forms of action and new

groups are created in response to felt needs, pressures, and
excitements, rather than as a result of consciously coordinated
activity.
 3 Conditions that characterize
collective behavior:

1.Absence or weakness of social forms

When existing social arrangements do not prescribe what is

proper and acceptable behavior, people improvise a crisis or
disaster, such as flood or famine, a revolution or an invasion-
something for which people are usually unprepared. Action is called
for, yet routines to cope with the emergency are lacking of
inadequate. The ordinary processes of elderly communication
breakdown, and rumors, perhaps exaggerated and fear provoking
take their place. Panic may also result. In a pioneer country where
law-enforcement agencies are weak or non-existent, vigilante
groups often go beyond their legitimate limits. In crowds, people
come into contact with each other, outside the restraining influence
of a social structure.
2. Ambiguous and open decisions

Especially in a democratic society, government policy is

frequently deliberately left open to be determined by expressions of
public opinion. While a broad framework of orderly rules is
maintained, decisions are not reached by agreement on a traditional
and commonly accepted authority but are worked out in the interplay
of competing interest groups. It is assumed that public opinion is not
predetermined and fixed but may be influenced.

3. Changed perspectives and values

Innovation, such as the growth of factory technology, brings

about changes in goals and outlooks. Old ways are questioned, and
pressure is exerted on customs and traditions.
 CROWDS
In common usage any large number of people
gathered in one place is called a crowd, but crowds differ in
the extent to which interaction occurs or leads to unity of
feeling and behavior. We may classify crowds on the basis
of such criteria as whether participants have gathered
spontaneously or for a scheduled event, whether they are
behaving peacefully or violently, and whether they are
preoccupied mainly with personal, subjective experiences
or with events external to themselves. In addition, we may
analyze crowds in terms of their organizational
characteristics.

Herbert Blumer proposed a relatively simple

classification of crowds, using the terms casual,
conventionalized, active and expressive to identify distinct
types of collectives.
 4 Types of collectives according to
Blumer:

1.Casual crowd

In casual crowd, onlookers come together

spontaneously for brief periods when their attention
is drawn to some commonly perceived event. They do
very little but view event as passive and fleeting
aggregate of people. The members of a casual crowd
share no collective goal and do not interact in any
organized ways, in example, crowd watching a man hit
by a car
2.Conventionalized crowd

In conventionalized crowd such as audiences, the

participants have a common goal such as the enjoyment
of attending a particular performance or spectacle. In
addition, simple norms and rules on its members are
followed. For example, the person who laughs when
silence is more appropriate or who makes an
unnecessary commotion is deviating from expected and
approved patterns of audience behavior.
3. Active crowd

The members of both casual and conventionalized

crowds, are primarily observed, they do not become
directly involved in the event that has brought them
together. Members of an active crowd, by contrast,
becomes participants in the event, engaging in
unpredictable and sometimes violent forms of behavior.
Damage to property or injuries to persons often result
from the behavior of an active crowd. A theater
audience may stampede at the cry of “fire” and sports
fan enraged by a series of “bad calls” may swarm the
playing field in protest.
4. Expressive crowd

In the expressive crowd, the subjective

experiences of the members themselves are the
principal features of attention. A highly emotional
religious revival meeting is an example. In the
context of such a crowd, exaltation, grief, joy,
fear and other emotions can be generated in ways
unlikely to be experienced by individual members in
isolation.
 RUMOR

A rumor is a specific belief, passed along from person

to person, usually by word of mouth, without secure
standards of evidence being presented. Sociologically,
rumors, even though at times grossly inaccurate and
incredible in content cannot be dismissed as unimportant.
Rumoring may have significant consequences. In many
instances it represents an effort through interaction with
others to develop orientations towards practices, status
divisions, leaders, the future and goals for which structured
and official definitions do not provide an adequate guide.
 According to Shibutani, there are six important factors that
facilitate the circulation of rumors:

1. the existense of a high degree of social interaction and

the
necessity for acting or of getting ready to act
2. the intensity and homogeneity of the wishes and the
fears of
the group
3. the unsatisfied need for information and the dependence
of
people upon one another for information.
4. monotomy and enforced inactivity
5. some degree of intension
6. some degree of rapport
 Furthermore, Shibutani concluded that there are three
major factors in the disappearance of rumors:

1. All members of the group have heard it.

2. Sudden change in the public’s interest.
3. Definite news which clears up the matter.

Rumoring is one means by which human beings interact

and conduct interpersonal relations. It is often a search for
clarification and explanation of ambiguous situations. Rumoring
can provide a basis for orientation, planning or action.
 PUBLICS AND THEIR OPINIONS
Whereas a crowd involves a number of people in close physical
contact and whose behavior is distinctly marked by emotion, the
behavior of a public is based on discussion and deliberation and need
not involve the collection of people together in one place. The only
item that members of a public need to have in common is interest in
an issue. Since there may be many issues in a given society at a given
time, publics tend to overlap and a person may be considered a
member of many publics at the same time. While members of a public
may not know each other personally, they often react to an issue
with the expectation that certain categories of others will display
similar reaction to the same issue. Publics are concerned with the
process of opinion formation as it leads to group action. In modern
society, the opinions of publics have become a powerful force. There
are five-phase model formulated and proposed by famous
sociologists to describe the evolution of opinion as it leads to group
action.
 Five-phased model to describe the
evolution of opinion:

1. Problem phase

A number of people recognize a situation to be

problematic. They develop a sense of the problem as well as the
feeling that something should be done about it. Possible
solutions are explored on a tentative, grouping, way. Public
and problem emerge together in the course of interaction.

2. Proposal phase

Some concrete proposals emerge and are tired out

in the form of both rational discussions and
unselfconscious interaction. There must be more than one of
these potential lines of action, if this is to be an issue to discuss.
4. Policy phase

Here the moment is reached for some kind of decision

among the alternative proposals for action.

5. Program phase

Opinions have now emerged from the process of discussion

and an action program is initiated. Organizations now exists.
The development of opinion usually ceases in relation to the
original problem.
5. Appraisal phrase

Systematic or casual evaluation of the effectiveness of

action programs are undertaken. Anticipations are found to have
been validated or invalidated. In the comparison of actual with
expected outcomes, new problems may be defined. This could
lead to a new cycle of collective behavior.
 FASHIONS, FADS, AND CRAZES
Fashions, fads and crazes are forms of collective behaviors
which give man the opportunity to satisfy his need for self-
expression and status.

Fashions are those cultural forms that become generally,

accepted but are periodically subject to change. Clothing styles,
certain styles of furniture, certain sports, certain breeds of dog
and certain expressions fall under this category.

This behavior patterns we label as fads and crazes appear

and disappear even more quickly than fashions. Often they
involve limited segments of society and are regarded by the
majority as examples of pure foolishness. Whereas fashions are
likely to be cyclical like the ups and downs of hemliness and the
recurrent appearance and disappearance of shoulder pads,
particular fads and crazes seldom become popular again once
they have been abandoned. Usually they are abandoned just as
 SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Collective action is called a social movement when it is unified,
lasting and has the following:

1. A distinctive perspective and ideology

The ideology of a movement provides direction and self-

gratification; it offers weapons of attack and defense; and it holds
out inspiration and hope. Social movements place great emphasis
on ideology, particularly when other sources of orientation and
cohesion are lacking.
 2. A strong distinctive sense of solidarity and
idealism

Membership in a movement typically means more to be

individual than other affiliations. He is a dedicated man and feels
part of an idealistic and active enterprise. Especially in early ages,
idealism plays a role in all movements, political or religious,
progressive or conservative.

3. An orientation toward action

The very word movement suggests unconventional

methods of appeal, such as street meetings and the sale
propaganda traits. Small movements can sometimes gain wide
attention by dramatic actions, particularly if they involve
violence. The stress on action reflects the problem of
maintaining interest and solidarity. There is a constant need to give
members to do something t do keep them from slipping away to
other interests and involvements.
 Types of Movements:
1. According to goals
1. Value-oriented versus norm-oriented movements

A value-oriented movement speaks to a rather general

social concern such as democracy, peace, nationalism or
Godliness. A norm-oriented movement has a narrower focus.
It strives to establish or change a specific social form or
practice such as woman’s suffrage, child labor or separation
of church and state.
2. Power-centered, persuasion-centered and
participation-centered movements

A power-centered movement is an instrument for

exercising political muscle and winning victory in the political
area. A persuasion-centered movement looks to education,
including propaganda, and legitimate political action, to forward
its aim. A participation-centered movement is mainly interested
in its members and political members. It is less concerned to
change social policy on the social order, except indirectly.
3. Unconventional, limited objectives, general reforms
and revolutionary movements

The unconventional movement is characterized by a

zealous desire for quick and simple solution to the problems of
society. The movement with a limited objective is aimed at
curing a specific defect without changing the whole social
order. The general reform movement is aimed at changing the
various aspects of social living by means of peaceful reforms.
The revolutionary movement aims to change the whole social
order.
II. According to the direction and degree of the changes
1. Reactionary social movements

These movements seek to restore society, or some part of

it, to a former condition or state.
Example:
A movement that looks back to the past is the moral
majority, whose members seek to return to the time when only
marital sex was approved, homosexuality is regarded as a
disease, and abortion was illegal.
2. Conservative movements

These movements seeks to retain the status quo, to fight

proposed changes that other movements might attempt to bring
about.
Example:
The PROGUN movement-which was organized to prevent
the ban on ownership of guns even for self-defense.

3. Revisionary movements

These movements wish to make partial or moderate

changes in the present state of society.
Example:
Focusing on specific issues or areas like blocking efforts to
build a nuclear plant in Bataan.
4. Revolutionary movements

These movements seeks major, sweeping, large-scale

change.
Example:
Gabriela Silang Movement wants society to grant women
equal rights as men.

5. Escapist movements

These movements do not see to change society at all but

attempt to withdraw from it and its corruption.
Example:
Members of religious sect who go to the mountain to escape
or withdraw from the ills of the society.
6. Expressive movements

These movements seek to change the psychic, emotional,

internal state of individual members, not the external
conditions. Their members believe that society and its
problems-hunger, poverty, inequality and injustice-are less
important that each individual’s attitudes toward them.
Example:
“Hunger Project”, introduced by the Erhard Training
Seminar, aims to make hunger disappear within two decades by
convincing its members and sympathizers, not to feel guilty
about the starvations of millions of their fellow human being s
since guilt is stupid and counterproductive.