Collective Behavior & Social Movements

Macionis, Sociology, 12th Edition, Chapter Twenty-three

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Studying Collective Behavior

Social movements Organized activities that encourage or

discourage social change

Collective behavior Activities involving a large number of

people, often spontaneous, and typically in violation of established social norms

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Collectives Differ From Groups Collectives are based on limited social

interaction Interaction in mobs is limited and temporary

Collectives have no clear social boundaries Little sense of unity compared to social groups

Collectives generate weak and unconventional norms Mobs often destroy and act spontaneously

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CrowdsCrowdsPeople Who Share a Common Focus of Attention and Whose Members Influence One Another

A Casual Crowd: People On A Beach

A Conventional Crowd: A College Classroom

An Expressive Crowd: A Church Service

An Acting Crowd: People Fleeing From A Fire

A Protest Crowd: A College Student Sit-in

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When Acting Crowds Turn Violent

Mob A highly emotional crowd that pursues a

violent or destructive goal Lynch mob

Riots A social eruption that is highly emotional,

violent & undirected Watts, south central, after a LAKERS

championship

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Public Opinion & Propaganda Public opinion – widespread attitudes about

controversial issues On any given issue from 2–10% of Americans

report they hold no opinion Is this due to ignorance or indifference?

Not everyone’s opinion carries the same weight Experts in a field

Propaganda– information presented with the intention of shaping public opinion Thin line between information and propaganda Not all propaganda is false

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Fashions and Fads Fashions

A pattern favored for a time by a large number of people Fashion characterizes all forms of art Can trickle down through less expensive copies THORSTEIN VEBLEN’S conspicuous consumption – people

buying expensive products simply to show-off their wealth Fads

An unconventional social pattern that people embrace briefly but enthusiastically

Sometimes called crazes

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Kai Erikson’s Research (2005)

The social consequences of disasters of all types:

1) disasters cause damage to human community.

2) social damage is more serious when an event involves some toxic substance.

3) the social damage is most serious when the disaster is caused by the actions of others.

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Types of Social MovementsSocial Movements – an organized activity that

encourages or discourages social change Alternative

Least threatening, limited change for a limited number of members

Example: planned parenthood Redemptive

Selective focus, radical change Example: some religious organizations

Reformative Limited social change that targets all members of

society Example: equal rights amendment movement

Revolutionary The most severe, striving for basic transformation of

society Example: ultra-conservative political movements

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Stages of Social Movements

Stage one: emergence Perception that something is wrong

Stage two: coalescence Defining itself and “going public”

Stage three: bureaucratization Organizing rationally to get job done

Stage four: decline Is the movement in need of regrouping or is it

simply time for its demise? Reasons:

Signals success has been reached Signals organizational problems (leadership, etc.) Leadership sells out to other interests Demise may result from state-sponsored

repression

Figure 23-2 (p. 624)Stages in the Lives of Social MovementsSocial Movements typically go through four stages. The last is decline, which may occur for any of five reasons.

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“Write the bad things that are done to you in the sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble.”

– Arabian Parable