Collective Behavior and Acting Crowds: a sociological understanding of Ferguson, MO

Professor Vicky HerbelOctober 8, 2014

St. Charles Community College

Collective Behavior

Actions by a group of people who bypass the usual norms governing their behavior and do something unusual (Turner and Killian 1987; Harper and Leicht 2002).

Forms Of Collective Behavior

RiotsRumorsPanicsMass HysteriaMoral PanicsFads & FashionsUrban Legends

How Crowds Change People

Charles Mackay (1814-1889), a British journalist, noticed that “country folks”, who ordinarily are reasonable sorts of people, sometimes “went mad” and did “disgraceful and violent things” when they formed a crowd.

“Herd mentality - stampede

Collective Mind

About 50 years later, Gustave LeBon (1841-1931), a French psychologist, built on this idea.

He stressed how people feel anonymous in crowds, less accountable for their behavior.

Some develop feelings of invincibility.A “collective mind” develops and people

are swept up by almost any suggestion.Then contagion, like mass hypnosis, takes

over!

Social Unrest

Robert Park (1864-1944), a U.S. sociologist added the idea of social unrest.

“Social unrest…is transmitted from one individual to another…so that the manifestation of discontent in A [are] communicated to B, and from B reflected back to A (Park and Burgess 1921).

Circular Reaction

The back and forth communication between members of a crowd.

It creates a “collective impulse” that comes to “dominate all members of the crowd.”

The Acting Crowd

An excited group that moves toward a goal.Herbert Blumer (1900-1987) identified 5

stages that precede the acting crowd.1. A background of tension or unrest.2. An exciting event.3. Milling – people standing or walking

around, talking about the exciting event.4. A common object of attention.5. Common impulses – stimulated by social

contagion.

Acting Crowds

Acting crowds aren’t always negative or destructive.

Organized and peaceful demonstrations can fit the definition of an Acting Crowd.

Emergent Norms

Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian (1987) use the term Emergent Norms to express the idea that life usually proceeds pretty much as we expect. If something unusual disrupts our usual life, however, ordinary norms may not cover the new situation.

To deal with new events, new norms may emerge.

Not everyone in a crowd shares the same point of view.

Crowd Participation

Turner and Killian (1987) point out crowds have at least 5 kinds of participants.

1. Ego involved – have a personal stake in the event

2. Concerned – personal interest but less so than ego-involved

3. Insecure – care little about the matter but join the crowd for a sense of power, security, or belonging

4. Curious spectators – simply curious about what’s going on

5. Exploiters – use the event for their own purposes, perhaps even capitalize on the event

Exploitation