Collective Behaviour Flashcards
Collective behaviour is
the behaviour from two or more people that is common among dimensions.
Dimensions
Spatial
Temporal duration
Scale
Define Spatial
Can be a certain location or wide spread.
*think SPACE
Define Temporal duration:
can vary from minutes – days- hours
*think TIME
Define Scale
what levels does it take place at—political protest that takes form on a street
Crowds
Are temporary gatherings of people in close physical proximity, engaging in joint activity
Contagion Theory
Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931): The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (1895)
a theory of collective behaviour which explains that the crowd can cause a hypnotic impact on individuals.
Involves Deindividuation and Contagion
Explain how Deindividuation and Contagion influences behaviour in crowds according to Contagion theory
Deindividuation=
the anonymity and reduced perceptions of personal responsibility in crowds
-Loss of self-due to the anonymity
Contagion=
Actions that spread ‘contagiously’
Evidence agaisnt contagion theory E.P. Thompson: Study of eighteenth century food riots in England
Stated crowd action is often patterned in ways that reflect existing norms and cultures
- individuals acted in ways that reflected their collective belief systems
- Rioters insisted on the idea of a moral community that was obliged to feed them and their families.
- He rejected contagion theory— the opposite of contagion theory
Crowds Myths
- Irrationality
- Emotionality
- Suggestibility—easily influence others/ easily influenced
- Destructiveness
- Spontaneity—we act without thinking
- Anonymity
- Unanimity—we all act together
Convergence Theory
Convergence: when those present at a gathering share certain qualities
- Similar and like-minded individuals often come together to form crowds
- Crowd behaviour emerges from convergence of like-minded individuals- homogeneity of members
- acting in ways that conform to the collective interests of members
Turner and Killian’s: Emergent Norm Theory
the definition of the norms of a situation that results from interactions in an initially
ambiguous situation
- The definition of the situation that results from interactions from an initially ambiguous situation
- the structure of the situation has more to do with the crowds behaviour
Underlying Causes of Collective Behaviour
Strain - the shared individuals goals in society and then the means for meeting those goals
Relative Deprivation - the idea that the deprivation we experience is relative to those around us
Grievances- Intrest Groups wanting to gain control over things
Precipitating Incidents
Temperature and Collective Violence
UK St. Paul’s ‘riot’ (1980)
Occurred prior to a series of inner city riots across most major UK cities in the 1980s
Precipitating event: police raid on black owned café in St. Paul’s area of Bristol
♣ Fighting with police only
♣ Rioters established geographical boundary
♣ Rioters were not anonymous - expressed strong identity to St. Paul’s region and were known within the group
UK Riots (2011)
Precipitating event: police shooting of M. Duggan
Initially peaceful protests by family/friends
Subsequent riot in the area, then spreads outside, and then onto other cities
Causes
- ‘Racial tension’ explanations insufficient
- Ringleaders coordinate, serve as model for others to emulate (emergent norms)
- Role of technology in coordinating riots (blackberry)
