Collective Behavior, Social Movements, and Social Change Flashcards
the alteration, modification, or transformation of public policy, culture, or social institutions over time
social change
a voluntary, often spontaneous activity that is engaged in by a large number of people and typically violates dominant-group norms and values
collective behavior
a relatively large number of people who are in one another’s immediate vicinity
crowd
a number of people who share an interest in a specific idea or issue but who are not in one another’s immediate vicinity
mass
relatively large gatherings of people who happen to be at the same place at the same time
casual crowd
made up of people who come together for a scheduled event and share a common focus
conventional crowd
opportunities for the expression of a strong emotion
expressive crowd
so intensely focused on a specific purpose or object that they may erupt into violent or destructive behavior
acting crowd
a highly emotional crowd whose members engage in, or are ready to engage in violence, against a specific target
mob
violent crowd behavior that is fueled by deep-seated emotions but not directed at one specific target
riot
a form of crowd behavior that occurs when a large number of people react to a real or perceived threat with strong emotions and self-destructive behavior
panic
a nonviolent action that seeks to change a policy or law by refusing to comply with it
civil disobedience
people are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior in a crowd because they are anonymous and feel invulnerable
contagion theory
transmitted by a process of circular reaction—the interactive communication between persons such that the discontent of one person is communicated to another, who, in turn, reflects the discontent back to the first person
social unrest
focuses on the shared emotions, goals, and beliefs that many people may bring to crowd behavior
convergence theory
crowds develop their own definition of a situation and establish norms for behavior that fit the occasion
emergent norm theory
collective behavior that takes place when people respond to the same event in much the same way
mass behavior
unsubstantiated reports on an issue or subject
rumors
refers to rumors about the personal lives of individuals
gossip
a form of dispersed collective behavior that occurs when a large number of people react with strong emotions and self-destructive behavior to a real or perceived threat
mass hysteria
a temporary but widely copied activity enthusiastically followed by large numbers of people
fad
consists of the attitudes and beliefs communicated by ordinary citizens to decision makers
public opinion
information provided by individuals or groups that have a vested interest in furthering their own cause or damaging an opposing one
propaganda
an organized group that acts consciously to promote or resist change through collective action
social movements
seek to improve society by changing some specific aspect of the social structure
ie. women’s sufferage
reform movement
seek to bring about a total change in society
ie. civil rights movement
revolutionary movements
seek to produce radical change in individuals based on spiritual or supernatural beliefs
ie. great schism of 1054
religious movements
seek limited change in some aspect of people’s behavior
ie. planned parenthood
alternative movements
seek to prevent change or undo change that has already occurred
ie. the children’s crusade
resistance movement
people who are satisfied with their present conditions are less likely to seek social change
relative deprivation theory
refers to the discontent that people may feel when they compare their achievements with those of similarly situated persons and find that they have less than they think they deserve
relative deprivation
based on the assumption that certain conditions are necessary for the development of a social movement
Smelser’s value-added theory
focuses on the ability of members of a social movement to acquire resources and mobilize people in order to advance their cause
resource mobilization theory
based on the assumption that a social movement is an interactive, symbolically defined, and negotiated process that involves participants, opponents, and bystanders
social constructionist theory
states that people will choose those options for collective action that are most readily available to them and those options that will produce the most favorable outcome for their cause
political opportunity theory
considers a diverse array of collective actions and the manner in which those actions are based on the politics, ideology, and culture
new social movement theory
based on the belief that patriarchy is a root cause of environmental problems
ecofeminism
the belief that a disproportionate number of hazardous facilities (including industries such as waste disposal/treatment and chemical plants) are placed in low-income areas and populated primarily by people of color
environmental racism
