Social Psychology Key Question: HOW CAN KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BE USED TO REDUCE PREJUDICE IN SITUATIONS SUCH AS CROWD BEHAVIOUR OR RIOTING?

crowd behavior Chelsea example + application

- the racist incident involving Chelsea fans in the Paris subway in 2015. -The fans refused to let Mr Sylla board a train and chanted racist chants. Chelsea FC apologised to Mr Sylla. Other fans raised money for him to come to London and see "the true spirit of the club." - The four ringleaders were banned from matches. social identity theory: - The Chelsea fans saw themselves as an ingroup. Social identification meant they all joined in the chanting. Social comparison meant they saw Mr Sylla as an outgroup member, partly because he was French and their team was playing a French team but also because he was black and they were all white. agency theory: - because Chelsea captain John Terry was perceived (by these fans) to have racist views. If the fans were in an Agentic State, they might have behaved in a racist way in obedience to John Terry. social impact theory: - Four fans were singled out a ringleaders and arrested. Social Impact Theory would explain how these men might have influenced the rest. In a crowded subway train, they would have been very close to each other and had a lot of social impact on the fans surrounding them. As fellow fans, they would have had what French & Raven call "referent authority".

rioting example Ferguson riots of 2014 + application

-When Michael Brown was shot by a white police officer, there was a protest about racist police tactics that turned into a riot that lasted for days. social identity: - The black community of Ferguson sees the white Ferguson PD as an outgroup and the police officers see the black community the same way. Social comparison means they will interpret each other's behaviour in the worst way: the crowds will see the destruction of the shrine as a deliberate insult and the police will see the protesting as criminal behaviour. realistic conflict theory: - because the black community is poor but numerous, whereas the white community is wealthy but has the police on its side. The two groups are in competition for control of Ferguson.

What is the key question?

How can knowledge of social psychology be used to reduce prejudice in situations such as crowd behaviour or rioting?

how can mob mentality be explained by social identity theory?

When people join a large crowd, they change their social identity because they start to see the crowd as their new ingroup and everyone else as an outgroup. This makes them less respectful of property and the law, because these are viewed as outgroup products.

how can mob mentality be explained by realistic conflict theory?

because the crowd might really be in competition of scarce resources with another group. This is more likely in a race riot or an urban riot.

how can mob mentality be explained by agency theory?

because their may be authority figures organising the crowd. There might be symbols of authority, like placards and slogans. The crowd might feel moral strain about using violence, but by entering an Agentic State, they feel the organisers are responsible, not them.

What is crowd behaviour?

how people behave differently when in large groups. It is also known as "mob mentality" or "herd mentality". It is believed to occur because people feel anonymousin crowds and lose their sense of identity.

how does social influence theory explain how police lose control in a riot?

the numbers become too large so therefore they lose control because of division of impact. If the police increase their presence, this restores their social impact.

What is a riot?

when crowd behaviour involves lashing out at other people or property.