Collective behaviour .pptx Students in sociology course

An introduction to collective behavior

1. Collective Behaviour Introduction to Sociology

2. C ollective behaviour Voluntary and often spontaneous activity that involves a large number of people and usually violets societal norms and values D ifferent from ordinary behavior because it lacks clear norms to govern those involved During collective behavior people express a certain underlying emotion e.g. fear, anger, & joy

3. W hy do people disregard established patterns of behaviour during collective behaviour ? T hey realize that established means do not work the believe in strength in numbers. Possible to fight even those with greater power & more resources

4. Conditions for collective behavior Key factors by Neil Smelser 1.Structural conduciveness Factors that allow collective behaviour to take place e.g. political tolerance, proximity of potential participants, & access to ICTs 2. Structural strain A situation that causes some discomfort or strain in society e.g. perceived injustice

5. Conditions for collective behavior 3. Generalised belief A common understanding among participants concerning a problem i.e. how it affects them & what to do to solve it 4.Precipitating factors What ignites the collective behavior

6. 5 . Mobilisation for Action People need to get organized for collective behaviour to occur . Usually gather at some central location

7. 6 . Failure of control Depending on the response of the authorities collective behaviour can successfully be contained or not

8. Types of c ollective b ehaviour 1. Crowd behaviour A crowd is a relatively large number of people in close proximity P eople watching a movie, at a sporting event, an accident scene, a fight in the neighbourhood etc . Very little interaction among them M ay not even take part in the event, they simply observe

9. Types of crowds   Casual crowd Relatively large gathering of people in the same place People may share an interest momentarily but have nothing in common

10. Conventional crowd Made up of people who come together for a scheduled event e.g. a religious service, a lecture, a football match, a concert etc. There is a pre-established schedule and clearly defined norms Such events may occur regularly hence interaction among participants more likely and people have more in common

11. Expressive crowd A crowd that provides an opportunity for the expression of some strong emotion e.g. joy or grief Examples – worshippers at a charismatic religious service, mourners at a funeral, fans at a concert

12. Acting crowd Has a specific goal, and can easily become violent or engage in other destructive behaviour Examples: Mob –a highly emotional crowd engaged in or ready to engage in violence against a specific target (a person, group of people or property)

13. A riot - violent behaviour triggered by strong emotions but not directed at specific target Panic - occurs when a large number of people reacts to a real or perceived threat resulting in self-destructive behaviour e.g. people trying to escape from a burning building or sinking boat end up causing a stampede, injuries or death

14. 2. Mass behaviour Collective behaviour that occurs when people who are geographically dispersed respond to an event in a similar manner Usually have shared interests & common sources of information

15. Rumours Unconfirmed reports on an issue likely to arise when there is tension & when there is little reliable information about an issues of concern Can be spread among people in same place or people who are geographically dispersed Rumours may contain some element of truth initially but they may be modified as they spread

16. If not properly handled rumours can result in destructive behaviour e.g. panic, and riot Rumours about the personal lives of individuals are known as gossip

17. 3. Mass hysteria Occurs when a large number of people spread over a large geographical area react to a real or perceived threat with strong emotions and self -destructive behaviour It is panic except people are not in one place Read about the dramatization of a science fiction film, ‘War of the Worlds’ in 1938 in the US (New Jersey) & how people reacted Ebola outbreak of 2014/2015 in Guinea, Sierra Leone, & Liberia - people on a number of occasions showed mass hysteria

18. Some airports stopped people from affected countries from travelling People refused to have treatment centers in their communities Many cases of people being abandoned by their families – especially children whose parents had died of Ebola yet the children were not sick S tories of men refusing to take back their wives after recovering from Ebola Covid-19 mass hysteria?

19. Fads and fashion A fad is temporary but widely copied type of behaviour Often associated with young people Fashion is a type of behaviour that is longer lasting Often associated with adults

20. Public opinion A ttitudes and beliefs common among ordinary members of society M ay vary within the same population depending on race , ethnicity, religion, social class, education, sex, age etc. Sometimes used to influence decision makers Likewise, decision makers may try to influence public opinion through propaganda

21. Theories of collective behaviour

22. Contagion theory An early explanation of collective behavior was offered by the French sociologist Gustave Le Bon ( 1841–1931 ) Crowds have a hypnotic influence on their members Le Bon argued a crowd makes people anonymous hence they forget about personal responsibility and give in to the emotions of the crowd – pick up the emotions like a contagion

23. A crowd thus assumes a life of its own, stirring up emotions and driving people toward irrational, even violent action Robert E. Park argued that social unrest is transmitted through a process of circular reaction People reflect each other’s emotions I n the process emotions intensify & spread Contagion theory argues that C.B is irrational and results from contagious influence of the crowds in which individuals find themselves

24. Evaluation Le Bon’s idea that crowds provide anonymity and can generate strong emotions is true However, research shows that “the madding crowd” does not take on a life of its own Rather, the crowd’s actions result from decisions made by specific individuals (either in reaction to or in agreement with the decision)

25. Also, although collective behavior may involve strong emotions, such feelings may not be irrational, as contagion theory suggests Emotions—as well as action—can reflect real fear (as panic at a music festival ) or result from a sense of injustice (as in the police bias protests )

26. Convergence Theory Convergence theory holds that crowd behavior does not come from the crowd itself, but from the particular people who join in A crowd is therefore a convergence of like-minded individuals Unlike contagion theory which states that crowds cause people to act in a certain way , convergence theory says the opposite, that people who wish to act in a certain way come together to form crowds

27. For example, the crowds that formed at political demonstrations opposing repressive governments during the Arab Spring in the Middle East did not cause participants to oppose their government leaders On the contrary, participants came together because of already existing political attitudes

28. Similarly those participating in a riot share certain attributes connected to their target e.g. hatred It’s not the riot that causes the hatred

29. Evaluation C onvergence theory stresses that people in crowds express existing beliefs and values but it can be argued that people sometimes do things in a crowd that they would not have the courage to do alone because it gives them some anonymity Secondly, crowds can intensify an emotion simply by creating a critical mass of like-minded people

30. Emergent-norm theory Developed by Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian (1987 ) Opposed to view that collective behavior is ungovernable Admit that social behavior is unpredictable, but distinctive patterns of behavior emerges during collective behaviour Crowds begin as collectivities containing people with mixed interests and motives Especially in the case of expressive, acting, and protest crowds, norms may be vague and changing

31. But over time, the behavior of people in crowds may change as they go along For example many people fled in terror in the minutes & hours after the earthquake & tsunami devastated Japan in 2004 But, quickly, people began to come to each other’s aid, and resolved to undertake a collective effort to rebuild their way of life In many situations, crowds are effectively governed by norms and procedures e.g. queuing

32. Normally physical barriers such as guardrails & checkout counters help to regulate queuing Ushers and security personnel may also be present to assist when massive crowds are involved D uring collective behavior a definition of what behavior is appropriate or not emerges from the crowd Like other social norms they are enforced through sanctions

33. Evaluation Emergent-norm theory represents a middle-ground approach to crowd dynamics Turner and Killian (1993) explain that crowd behavior is neither as irrational as contagion theory suggests nor as deliberate as convergence theory implies Although crowd behavior reflects the desires of participants , it is also guided by norms that emerge as the situation unfolds

34. Decision making does play a role in crowd behavior, although people watching from the sidelines may not realize it In fact emergent-norm theory points out that people in a crowd take on different roles Some step forward as leaders; others become lieutenants, rank-and-file followers, inactive bystanders, and even opponents