Chapter 13 Slides Flashcards
What is Collective Behavior?
Group behavior that is spontaneous, unstructured, and unconventional
What does Spontaneous mean?
More or less unorganized or unplanned
What is Unstructured?
There are generally no formal rules
What does Unconventional mean?
It’s not just normative behavior (ex everyone wearing pants to class) it not really collective behavior it’s just a normative conventional thing that we all abide by
What is a Crowd?
A temporary gathering of people who are in the same place at the same time
What are the 4 different types of crowds?
Casual
Conventional
Expressive
Acting
What is a Casual Crowd?
A gathering of people who by proximity alone happen to be in the same location at the same time. They are not a form of collective behavior because each group is doing their own thing
What is a Conventional Crowd?
A group of people who have gathered in the same place at the same time because of a common shared interest or objective. This doesn’t usually lead to collective behavior or action
What is an Expressive Crowd?
A gathering of people who share a common interest and are gathered at the same event at the same time with a explicit participatory purpose. Ex fans at a football game
What do Acting Crowds do?
They join together in the same space at the same time and engage in overt behavior in pursuit of a common goal
What does Contagion theory argue?
Participation in collective behavior in a crowd spreads through contagion and that people lose themselves and become part of a collective mind
What does LeBon say about Contagion theory?
Crowds provide anonymity and when people pick up on an idea it snowballs and grows
What does Blumer say about Contagion theory?
Initially crowds are just milling around but being together aimlessly makes people excited and they becomore sensitive and responsive to each other which leads to collective excitement and this leads to contagion
What does Convergence Theory say?
People are predisposed to do something and it wasn’t just because of the crowd. Convergence theory focuses on the individual
What does Emergent theory say?
Norms become emerged or become established in unusual situations. When groups find themselves unusual situations crowd members will share information to justify new norms
What are the 4 Dispersed forms of Collective behavior?
Fads and Fashions
Panics
Rumors, gossip and urban legends
Disasters
What are Fads?
Temporary but highly popular Social Patterns
How are fashions described?
Fashions are longer lasting and sometimes revived
How are Rumors described?
Unsubstantiated stories about people of event
Distortion occurs overtime when information is omitted or lost, or when information is sharpened and when assimilation occurs. Assimilation occurs when the storyteller focuses on a particular part of the rumor and may embellish it
What is Gossip?
Unsubstantiated rumors about specific individuals. It is unconventional, spontaneous and may not be verifiable
What are Urban Legends?
Abstract unsubstantiated stories that persist over time and contain an underlying message or warning
What is widespread panic?
A generalized belief regarding impending danger that can lead a large number of people to flee and real real engage in other protective measures
What is Moral Panic?
Irrational but widespread worry about certain groups present an enormous threat to the social order of society
What are the three groups that play a part in moral panics?
The targeted group
The moral entrepreneur that sound the alarm
The media that publicizes it and share it on a larger stage
How do disasters affect collective behavior?
They bring about more instances of collect behavior
What are Social Movements?
Efforts to change, or resist change in major aspects of society
They are organized, planned, and enduring
What are the 4 dimensions of social change?
Type of change
Degree of change
Intended recipients
Means utilized
Who do Alternative social movements target?
Specific group/sector and aim for limited change ex. Movements for homeschooling
What does Redemptive social movements target?
A specific group/sector and aim for massive change ex. Activists for vegan or vegetarian lifestyle
Who do reformative social movements target?
Society as a whole for limited change ex. LGBTQ people to have the same rights as everyone else
Who do Revolutionary social movements target?
Society as a whole for massive change
What are the 6 factors that facilitate social action?
Structural Conduciveness Structural Strain The growth and spread of generalized belief Precipitating factors Mobilization of participation for action Operation of social control
