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Collective behavior is voluntary, often
spontaneous activity that is engaged in
by a large number of people and
typically violates dominant-group norms
and values.
Collective behavior can take various
forms, including crowds, mobs, riots,
panics, fads, fashions, and public
opinion.
1.
2.
3.
Structural factors that increase the
chances of people responding in a
particular way.
Timing.
Breakdown in social control
mechanisms and corresponding feeling
of normlessness.

Crowd is a relatively large number of
people who are in one another’s
immediate vicinity.
› Tend to share an interest

Mass is a number of people who share
an interest in a specific idea or issue but
are not in one another’s immediate
vicinity.
› Politicians

Expressive crowds - people releasing
emotions with others who experience
similar emotions.
› Funerals, religious services

Acting crowds - crowds so intensely
focused that they may erupt into violent
behavior.
› All crowds can become acting crowds
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Casual crowds - people who happen to be in the
same place at the same time.
› Mall, subway
Conventional crowds - people who come together
for a scheduled event and share a common focus.
› Sporting events, concerts
Protest crowds - crowds that engage in activities
intended to achieve political goals.
› Civil disobedience or acting crowd

Mob…a highly emotional crowd whose members
engage in, or are ready to engage in, violence
against a specific target.
› Person, category of people, or property.

Riot…violent crowd behavior that is fueled by
deep-seated emotions but is not directed at a
specific target.
› Not always a result of anger

Panic…a form of crowd behavior that occurs when
a large number of people react to a real or
perceived threat with strong emotions and selfdestructive behavior.
› People trying to escape from danger
Contagion Theory - People are more
likely to engage in antisocial behavior in
a crowd because they are anonymous
and feel invulnerable.
 Social unrest and circular reaction - the
discontent of one person is
communicated to another who reflects it
back to the first person.

Convergence theory - focuses on the
shared emotions, goals, and beliefs
people bring to crowd behavior.
 Emergent norm theory - crowds
develop their own definition of the
situation and establish norms for
behavior that fits the occasion.
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Mass behavior is behavior that occurs
when people (may not be in same area)
act in the same way.
› Results from having common information
› Rumors
› Gossip

Mass hysteria…a dispersed panic.
› Behavior is that of panic but not everyone is
in the same location.
› A “widespread panic.”

Public Opinion…attitudes and beliefs
communicated by ordinary citizens and
decision makers.
› Measured through polls and surveys

Propaganda…information provided by
groups or individuals that have an
interest in furthering their own cause or
damaging an opposing one.

Social movement is an organized group
that acts consciously to promote or resist
change through collective action.
› Start at “grassroots” levels
› Diversity contributes
Reform movements seek to improve society
by changing an aspect of the social
structure.
 Revolutionary movements seek to bring
about a total change in society.
 Religious movements seek to produce
radical change in individuals and typically
are based on spiritual or supernatural belief
systems.

Alternative movements seek limited
change in some aspect of people's
behavior.
 Resistance movements seek to prevent
or undo change that has already
occurred.

Preliminary stage - people begin to
become aware of a threatening
problem.
 Coalescence stage - people begin to
organize and start making the threat
known to the public.
 Institutionalization stage - organizational
structure develops.

Relative
Deprivation
People compare achievements,
become discontent and join social
movements to get their “fair share”.
Resource
Mobilization
People participate in social
movements when the movement has
access to key resources.
New Social
Movement
Focus on sources of social
movements, including politics,
ideology, and culture.
Social Construction
Theory:
Frame Analysis
Used to determine how people
assign meaning to activities and
processes in social movements.
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Conditions required for social
movements to develop:
1.
2.
3.
People are aware of a problem and
engage in collective action.
Society cannot meet expectations for
taking care of the problem.
Spread of a belief of possible solutions to
the problem.
4.
5.
6.
Events reinforce the beliefs.
Mobilization of participants for action.
Society allows the movement to take
action.
The world continues to change
…environmentally, politically, and
economically.
 As a result, the world will experience
changes in population, technology, and
social institutions.
 It is important to be aware of social
elements and how we need to react
and adapt in the future to benefit
society.
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