CHAPTER 9

Collective Behavior, Social Movements, and Mass Publics

Chapter Outline

The Meaning of Disorder Social Movement Theory Social Movements and Civil Society Mass Publics and Public Opinion

Collective Behavior

Collective Behavior - a continuum of unusual behaviors that are engaged in by large numbers of people. At one extreme is the spontaneous behavior of

people who react to situations they perceive as uncertain, threatening, or extremely attractive.

At the other extreme are rallies,marches, demonstrations, protests and festivals.

Social movements

Intentional efforts by groups in a society to create new institutions or reform existing ones.

Social movements

Social movements often grow out of spontaneous episodes of collective behavior; once they are organized, they continue to plan collective events to promote their cause.

Lofland’s Typology of Spontaneous Collective Behaviors

Emotion Crowd Mass

Fear

Panic exodus from burning theaterHostages taken by terrorist groups

Natural calamitiesCrime wavesThree Mile IslandSalem witch-hunts

HostilityPolitical rallies Lynch mobsRace riots

Scapegoating public figuresCross burnings

Lofland’s Typology ofSpontaneous Collective Behaviors

Emotion Crowd Mass

Joy

RevivalsMardi Gras

Rock concertsSports events

Gold rushesJoggingDisco

Star Wars, Star Trek

Types of Social Movements

Type Description

RevolutionarySeeks to overthrow existing stratification systems and

institutions.

ReformistSeeks partial changes in some

institutions and values on behalf of some segments of society.

ConservativeSeeks to uphold values and

institutions of society and resists attempts to change them.

Types of Social Movements

Type Description

Reactionary

Seeks to return to institutions and values of the past and do away with existing institutions and values.

ExpressiveDevoted to the expression of personal beliefs and feelings.

MillenarianCombines elements of revolutionary and expressive movements.

Types of Social Movements

Type Example

Revolutionary Bolsheviks

Reformist Civil rights movement

Conservative Antitax movements

Reactionary Ku Klux Klan

Expressive Punk movement

Millenarian People’s Temple

Social Movement Theory

Gustav LeBon developed the first modern theory of crowd behavior.

Believed that individuals tend to lose their independence in a crowd.

Revolutions

Revolutionary movements seek to overthrow existing institutions and replace them with new ones.

Long evolutions shape the course of world history.

Social and political revolutions transform individual societies.

Relative Deprivation Theory

We tend to measure our own well-being against that of others.

Even if we are doing fairly well, if they are doing better, we are likely to feel a sense of injustice and, sometimes, extreme anger.

This feeling of deprivation relative to others may result in revolutionary social movements.

Need Satisfaction and Revolution

Collective Action Frames

Collective Action Frames have three main components: An injustice component - includes

indignation against a perceived injustice and the people who are said to be responsible.

Collective Action Frames

An agency component - embodies the idea that “we” can do something the injustice.

An identity component - defines who “we” are, usually in opposition to a “they”.

Frames

Antiabortion and pro-choice activists confront each other at a demonstration outside a clinic in Wichita, Kansas.

The two are speaking rationally to each other, each from his or her own action frame based on his or her stance on the issue.

Charisma

Social movements tend to form around a charismatic leader. Charisma refers to special qualities that motivate

people to follow a leader. The institutionalization of charisma refers to the

problem of incorporating the goals of charismatic leaders into a social movement.

Charismatic Figures Mahatma Gandhi was a

revered and charismatic political figure of the 20th century.

His followers often endured personal sacrifice and danger, for his political strategies called for nonviolent civil disobedience in the name of moral values.

Social Movement Theory

Karl Marx believed the increasing misery of the working class would lead to revolution.

He advanced the theory of relative deprivation – stating people join social movements when they feel deprived relative to others in the society.

Totalitarianism Totalitarian regimes

often use terror to

destroy trust. This photo from the Holocaust

shows Jewish families being rounded up for transport to concentration camps.

Under Hitler, the Nazis resorted to acts of terror to establish rule over German society.

Resource Mobilization

Resource mobilization analyzes how social movements mobilize leaders and organizations.

Social movements must deal with the tendency of many people to reap the benefits without lending their support to the movement.

Resource Mobilization

Research shows that the more a group has mobilized its resources as a protest movement, the more it will be able to mobilize the law in its favor.

Mass Publics

Large populations of potential participants who engage in collective behavior.

Factors contributing to the development of mass publics: Increased leisure gained with the 40-hour

work week. Greater social mobility owing to a higher

overall level of affluence.

Public Opinion

Public opinion refers to the values and attitudes of mass publics.

Public opinion is shaped in part by collective behavior, especially social movements.

Public Opinion

Revolutionary Social Movements

Often occur in cycles or waves. Waves of protest often result from social

shocks. During such periods there is a dramatic

increase in social conflicts, often motivated by sets of beliefs and interpretations of events.

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which statement is false regarding collective behavior?

a. It is often volatile and unpredictable in nature.b. It can be studied within the context of

organizations.c. People engaged in it often become personally

involved to a great degree.d. It involves studying the isolated behavior of

individuals, rather than group phenomena.

Answer: d

The following statement is false regarding collective behavior: It involves studying the isolated

behavior of individuals, rather than group phenomena

2. The basic distinction between "crowd" and "mass" is the variable of

a. action frame.

b. movement type.

c. physical setting.

d. motivating emotion.

Answer: c

The basic distinction between "crowd" and "mass" is the variable of physical setting.

3. Relative deprivation" has been used to explain participation in revolutions and other efforts to change society. Which statement is true concerning this concept?a. Those most apt to get involved are those who

suffer from the greatest deprivation.b. Those at the top of the class structure are

most actively involved in changing the distribution of privilege within society.

c. It is not so much that people are actually deprived that determines participation; it is a function of their perception that they are deprived.

Answer: c

Relative deprivation" has been used to explain participation in revolutions and other efforts to change society. The following statement is true concerning this concept: It is not so much that people are actually

deprived that determines participation; it is a function of their perception that they are deprived.

4. Which is least likely to motivate collective behavior?

a. joy

b. fear

c. hostility

d. indifference

Answer: d

Indifference is least likely to motivate collective behavior.