SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 17:Section 1
Collective Behavior
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Objectives:
 Contrast the various types of collectivities
and describe the explanations for collective
behavior that have been proposed.
 Identify the preconditions necessary for
collective behavior to occur and explain how
they build on one another.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
What is Collective Behavior??
 The relatively spontaneous social behavior
that occurs when people try to develop
common solutions to unclear situations.
 EX: fads, panics, rumors
 Hard to study because
short-lived, spontaneous,
and emotional
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Characteristics of Collectivities:
1. Limited interaction
2. Unclear norms
3. Limited unity
Collectivity: gathering of people who have limited
interaction with one another and do not share
clearly defined, conventional norms or a sense of
group unity.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Types of Collectivities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Crowds
Mobs & Riots
Panics
Mass Hysteria
Fashion & Fads
Rumors & Urban Legends
Public Opinion
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Types of Collectivities
1. Crowds – temporary gathering of people who
are in close enough proximity to interact.
A. Casual crowd: Least organized
EX: Standing in movie ticket line; beach
B. Conventional crowd: Act according to established rule of
behavior …. EX: funeral, baseball game
C. Expressive crowd: around emotionally charged activities.
EX: Rock concert
D. Acting crowd: violent crowd. EX: USC vs. Clemson
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
2. Mobs and Riots – a mob is an emotionally
charge collectivity whose members are united
by a specific destructive or violent goal.
EX: Lynch mobs (whites against African
Americans)
Riot is a collection of people who erupt into
generalized destructive behavior, the result of
which is social disorder.
EX: Protestors rioting
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
3. Panics – a spontaneous and
(continued)
uncoordinated group action to
escape some perceived threat.
EX: fires, floods, earthquakes.
Moral Panic: occurs when people
become fearful—often without
reason—about behavior that
appears to threaten society’s core
values.
EX: gangs
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Did you Know??
The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=526X814s_G
E
Pg. 439
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
4. Mass Hysteria – an unfounded anxiety shared
by people who can be scattered over a wide
geographic area.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Types of Collectivities
(continued)
5. Fashion and Fads – fashion refers to enthusiastic
attachments among large numbers of people for
particular styles of appearance or behavior; a fad is
an unconventional object, action, or idea that a large
number of people are attached to for a very short
period of time.
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Fads divided into 4 groups:
1. Object fads: hula hoops, Mood rings;
Beanie Babies, Pokeman cards
2. Activity fads: Bizarre behavior, such as
swallowing goldfish.
3. Idea fads: Reading horoscopes
4. Personality fads: Elvis Presley, Michael
Jackson, Backstreet Boys (oooh la la!!)
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
What were some your fads growing up??
Elementary/Middle School
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Types of Collectivities
(continued)
6. Rumors and Urban Legends – a rumor is an
unverified piece of information that is spread rapidly
from one person to another; an urban legend is a
story that teaches a lesson and seems realistic but is
untrue.
Let’s Spread a rumor!
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
7. Public Opinion – refers to the collection of
differing attitudes that members of a public
have about a particular issue.
Propaganda: an organized and deliberate
attempt to shape public opinion.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
7 techniques to propaganda:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Testimonials
Transfer
Bandwagon
Name calling
Plain-folks appeal
Glittering generalities
Card-stacking
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
 Testimonials:
 Endorsements by famous people.
 Transfer techniques:
 Associates a product or candidate with something
that public approves/respects. EX: American flag
 Bandwagon:
 Public’s desire to conform.
 Name-calling:
 Use of negative labels or images in order to make
competitors appear unfavorable.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
 Plain-folks appeal:
 Sway public opinion by appealing to the average
American.
 Glittering generalities:
 Use of words that sound positive but have little
real meaning.
 Card stacking:
 Practice of presenting facts in a way that places
politicians or products in a favorable light.
 EX: Presenting statistics or survey results that
favors politician/product.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Several theories have been proposed to
explain collective behavior…
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Explanations for Collective Behavior
1. Contagion Theory – the hypnotic power of a crowd
encourages people to give up their individuality to
the stronger pull of the group.
•
•
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Developed by Gustave LeBon
Crowd becomes a single organism!
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
2. Emergent-Norm Theory – people in a crowd
are often faced with a situation in which
traditional norms of behavior do not apply.
Discovered by Ralph Turner & Lewis Killian
EX: A wave in the crowd; a crowd clapping to the
music; a crowd stomping their feet at a pep-rally.
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
3. Value-Added Theory – explains crowd
behavior as a process that moves from step to
step; Each step adds value.
Discovered by Neil Smelser
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Smelser believed that Value-Added Theory
consisted of 6 basic preconditions for collective
behavior.
 These preconditions build on one another, and
each one is necessary for the next to occur!
 The more preconditions that are present, the
greater the likelihood of a particular type of
collective behavior.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Preconditions of Collective Behavior
(Neil Smelser)
1. Structural Conduciveness – refers to the
surrounding social structure that makes it
possible for a particular type of collective
behavior to occur (EX: video footage of violent behavior)
2. Structural Strain – refers to social conditions
that put strain on people and thus encourage
them to seek some collective means of relief.
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 EX: poverty, discrimination.
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: Collective Behavior
Preconditions of Collective Behavior
3. Growth and Spread of Generalized Belief –
people identify the problem, form opinions
about it, and share ways of dealing with it.
4. Precipitating Factors – refer to triggering
mechanisms that set off the behavior.
 EX: Discovering a criminal is “not guilty”
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
5. Mobilization for action:
• Many mobilize to express collective anger
and frustration through random acts of
destruction.
6. Social Control – a mechanism used to control
or minimize a situation
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
End of Chapter 17:1
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter 17:2
Social Movements
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Objectives:
 Describe the types of social movements that
exist and explain how they differ.
 Identify the stages present in the life cycle of
social movements and describe ways in which
the existence of social movements can be
explained.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
What is a social movement??
 A long-term conscious effort to promote or
prevent social change
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
What makes social movements different
from a form of collective behavior???
1. Social movements are long-lasting.
2. Social movements possess a highly
structured organization with formally
recognized leaders.
3. Social movements make a deliberate attempt
to institute or block societal change.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Types of Social Movements
1. Reactionary – try to prevent a type of social
change and return society to a past way of
being; often use fear and violence; “turn back
the clock”
EX: Ku Klux Klan
2. Conservative – try to protect prevailing values
from what are seen as threats to those values;
EX: the religious right (banning MTV)
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Types of Social Movements
(continued)
3. Revisionary – try to improve some part of
society through social change; usually use
legal methods and focus on a single issue;
EX: women’s suffrage movement
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Types of Social Movements
(continued)
4. Revolutionary – seek a total radical change or
existing social structure, overthrow existing
government and replace it with their own
version; often involve violent or illegal
methods;
 EX: the American Revolution
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Life Cycle of Social Movements:
 Successful movements have
certain characteristics in
common.
 Sociologists Malcolm Spector & John Kitsuse
identified 4 stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Agitation
Legitimation
Bureaucratization
Institutionalization
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Life Cycle of Social Movements
1. Agitation – initial stirrings of a movement;
admits there is a problem.
2. Legitimation – movement viewed as more
respectable; problem seen as legitimate.
3. Bureaucratization – structure of movement
more formal
4. Institutionalization – an established part of
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society
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Example of Life Cycle:
Labor-Union Movement
 Agitation: Low pay and harsh working conditions
led many workers to seek support for unions that
would protect employee interest.
 Legitimation: After many years, labor unions finally
received official governmental recognition.
 Bureaucratization: Over the years, labor unions
grew in size and #. Today, they are firmly
established.
 Institutionalization: Labor unions are now so well
established in society that they resist attempts to
change their operating procedures.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
How do social movements emerge???
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Section 2: Social Movements
Explaining Social Movements
1. Relative Deprivation Theory – people join
social movements because they feel deprived
relative to other people or groups with whom
they identify.
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
2. Resource-Mobilization Theory – not even the
most ill-treated group with the most just cause
will be able to bring about change without
resources.
Resources needed: body of supporters,
financial resources, & access to the media
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SOCIOLOGY THE STUDY OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
Example of importance of these
resources…
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