Page 611 - Sociology and You

Section 3
Chapter 17 Social Change and Collective Behavior 581 Collective Behavior
Key Terms
• collective behavior
• collectivity
• dispersed collectivity
• rumor
• urban legend
• fad
• fashion
• mass hysteria • panic
• crowd
Collective behavior refers to the spontaneous behavior of people who are responding to similar stimuli. Let’s look more closely at some of the terms in this definition. First, what is meant by collective? When
sociologists use this term, they are referring to a large number of people who do not normally interact and who do not necessarily share clearly defined norms. Sociologists call such a gathering of people a collectivity. Stimuli are outside events or persons that cause a response. Putting it all together, col- lective behavior involves spontaneous social interaction in which loosely connected participants influence one another’s behavior.
The study of collective behavior poses a large problem. Sociologists are used to studying structured, not unplanned, behavior. How are researchers going to investigate a social phenomenon that occurs spontaneously? In spite of this difficulty, sociologists have developed fascinating theories of collec- tive behavior. It turns out that collective behavior involves more structure and rationality than appear on the surface. Sociologists identify several types
• mob
• riot
• contagion theory
• emergent norm theory • convergence theory
Defining Collective Behavior
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Collective behavior de- scribes how people be- have when they are united by a single short-term goal. Rumors, fads, fashions, mass hysteria, and panics are exam- ples of collective behaviors. Crowds gather and behave in different ways depending on the stimuli and conditions present. Contagion theory and emergent norm theory describe crowd behavior.
collective behavior
the spontaneous behavior of a group of people responding to similar stimuli
collectivity
collection of people who do not normally interact and who do not share clearly defined norms
Some twenty people were badly injured following a 1947 panic in Nice, France. Sociologists see some structure even in such spontaneous social behavior.