Collective Behavior and Social Movements

by: Jose Radin L. Garduque

Collective Behavior and Social Movements

• Definition• Characteristics• Conditions• Factors• Theories• Crowds• Types of Crowds• Mass• Types of Mass Behavior• Social Movements• Types of Social Movements

Collective Behavior: Definition

• Voluntary, often spontaneous activity that is engaged in by a large number of people

Collective Behavior:Characteristics

• Represent the actions of groups of people, not individuals

• Exhibit patterned behavior that are usually highly emotional

• Often associated with effort to achieve social change

Collective Behavior:Conditions

• Precipitating incidents• Generalized belief of

what is wrong• Mobilization

Collective Behavior:Factors

• Feeling of normlessness• Breakdown of social

control• Timing

Collective Behavior:Theories

• Emergent Norm Theory – postulates that people faced with an unusual situation can direct a movement

• Value Added Theory • – agents of social control

conducive to collective actions must be present for collective behavior to occur

Collective Behavior:Crowd

• A relatively large number of people who are in one another’s immediate vicinity

Collective Behavior:Types of Crowd

• Casual Crowd – people who happen to be in the same place at the same time who share a momentary interest

Collective Behavior:Types of Crowd

• Conventional Crowd –people who come together for a scheduled event sharing a common focus

Collective Behavior:Types of Crowd

• Expressive Crowd –people releasing similar emotions

Collective Behavior:Types of Crowd

• Acting Crowd– people who are emotionally focused erupting into violent behavior

Collective Behavior:Types of Crowd

• Protest Crowd – people who engage in activities intended to achieve political goals, generally non-violent

Collective Behavior:Mass

• A number of people who share a common interest in a specific idea or issue, but not in one another’s vicinity

Collective Behavior:Types of Mass Behavior

• Rumors/Gossips – unverified information that thrive in times of uncertainty

Collective Behavior:Types of Mass Behavior

• Public Opinion – attitudes/beliefs communicated by ordinary citizens to decision-makers

Collective Behavior:Types of Mass Behavior

• Mass Hysteria – intense, fearful reaction to a perceived threat

Collective Behavior:Types of Mass Behavior

• Fads/Fashions – periodic popularity of styles

Social Movements:Definition

• Most organized form of collective behavior that acts to promote or resist change

Social Movements:Theories

• Resource Mobilization – people organize movements by using knowledge, skills & money

• Political Process – movements exploit social structural opportunities

• New Social Movement – new forces of identity are created as people participate in movements

Social Movements:Elements

• Precipitating incident• Pre-existing grievance• Pre-existing

communication network

• Ability to mobilize

Social Movements:Stages

• Preliminary Stage – people become aware of a threatening problem

• Coalescence Stage – people begin to organize and start making the threat known to the public

• Institutionalization Stage – organizational structure develops

Social Movements:Types

• Social Movements – seek limited change in some aspects of people’s behavior

Social Movements:Types

• Reform Movements – seek to improve society by changing an aspect of the social structure

Social Movements:Types

• Resistance Movements – seek to prevent or undo change that has already occurred

Social Movements:Types

• Revolutionary Movements – seek to bring about a total change in society

Social Movements:Types

• Religious Movements – seek to produce radical change in individuals by establishing a spiritual/religious system

Collective Behavior & Social Movements

A Report Soc. Sci. 408 (Social Institutions & Group Interaction) under Prof. Josan Dela Cruz Borres at Filamer Christian University, Roxas City, Philippines (1st Sem., A.Y. 2013-14)