Sociology - Chapter 16 - Collective Behavior, Social Movements, and Social Change

factors that contribute to collectivity

1. structural factors that increase the chances of people responding in a particular way 2. timing 3. a breakdown in social control mechanisms and a corresponding feeling of normlessness

structural conduciveness

People must become aware of a significant problem and have the opportunity to engage in collective action. According to Smelser, movements are more likely to occur when a person, class, or agency can be singled out as the source of the problem; when channels for expressing grievances either are not available or fail; and when the aggrieved have a chance to communicate among themselves.

new social movement

The focus is on sources of social movements, including politics, ideology, and culture. Race, class, gender, sexuality, and other sources of identity are also factors in movements such as ecofeminism and environmental justice.

precipitating factors

To reinforce the existing generalized belief, an inciting incident or dramatic event must occur. With regard to technological disasters, some gradually emerge from a long-standing environmental threat, whereas others involve a suddenly imposed problem.

structural strain

When a society or community is unable to meet people's expectations that something should be done about a problem, strain occurs in the system. The ensuing tension and conflict contribute to the development of a social movement based on people's belief that the problem would not exist if authorities had done what they were supposed to do.

panic

a form of crowd behavior that occurs when a large number of people react to a real or perceived threat with strong emotions and self-destructive behavior

mass hysteria

a form of dispersed collective behavior that occurs when a large number of people react with strong emotions and self-destructive behavior to a real or perceived threat

infrastructure

a framework of systems, such as transportation and utilities, that makes it possible to have specific land uses (commercial, residential, and recreational, for example) and a build environment (buildings, houses, and highways) that support people's daily activities and the nation's economy

mob

a highly emotional crowd whose members engage in, or are ready to engage in, violence against a specific target - a person, a category of people, or physical property

collectivity

a number of people who act together and may mutually transcend, bypass, or subvert established institutional patterns and structures

mass

a number of people who share an interest in a specific idea or issue but who are not in one another's immediate vicinity

crowd

a relatively large number of people who are in one another's immediate vicinity

resource mobilization

a variety of resources (money, members, access to media, and material goods such as equipment) are necessary for a social movement; people participate only when they feel the movement has access to these resources

social movement

an organized group that acts consciously to promote or resist change through collective action

rumors

an unsubstantiated report on an issue or subject

mobilization for action

at this stage, leaders emerge to organize others and give them a sense of direction

social construction theory: frame analysis

based on the assumption that social movements are an interactive, symbolically defined, and negotiated process involving participants, opponents, and bystanders, frame analysis is used to determine how people assign meaning to activities and processes in social movements

ecofeminism

based on the belief that patriarchy is a root cause of environmental problems; according to this theory, patriarchy not only results in the domination of women by men but also contributes to a belief that nature is to be possessed and dominated, rather than treated as a partner

value-added

certain conditions are necessary for a social movement to develop: (1) structural conduciveness, such that people are aware of a problem and have the opportunity to engage in collective action; (2) structural strain, such that society or the community cannot meet people's expectations for taking care of the problem; (3) growth and spread of a generalized belief about causes and effects of and possible solutions to the problem; (4) precipitating factors, or events that reinforce the beliefs; (5) mobilization of participants for action; and (6) social control factors, such that society comes to allow the movement to take action

mass behavior

collective behavior that takes place when people (who often are geographically separated from one another) respond to the same event in much the same way

acting crowds

collectivities so intensely focused on a specific purpose or object that they may erupt into violent or destructive behavior

conventional crowds

crowds made up of people who come together for a scheduled event and thus share a common focus; ex: religious services, graduation ceremonies, concerts, and college lectures

protest crowds

crowds that engage in activities intended to achieve specific political goals; ex. sit-ins, marches, boycotts, blockades, and strikes

expressive crowds

crowds that provide opportunities for the expression of some strong emotion (such as joy, excitement, or grief)

potable

drinkable

spread of generalized belief

for a movement to develop, there must be a clear statement of the problem and a shared view of its cause, effects, and possible solutions

diagnostic framing

identifies a problem and attributes blame or causality to some group or entity so that the social movement has a target for its actions

social control factors

if there is a high level of social control on the part of law enforcement officials, political leaders, and others, it becomes more difficult to develop a social movement or engage in certain types of collective action

propaganda

information provided by individuals or groups that have a vested interest in furthering their own cause or damaging an opposing one

new social movement theory

looks at a diverse array of collective actions and the manner in which those actions are based on politics, ideology, and culture; it also incorporates factors of identity, including race, class, gender, and sexuality, as sources of collective action and social movements

alternative movements

movements that seek limited change in some aspect of people's behavior; ex. therapuetic social movements, vegetarianism, meditation, holistic medicine, yoga

resistance movements

movements that seek to prevent change or to undo change that has already occured

revolutionary movements

movements that usually do not attempt to work within the existing system; rather, they aim to remake the system by replacing existing institutions with new ones

reform movements

movements which seek to improve society by changing some specific aspect of the social structure; ex. environmental movement, labor movement, animal rights movements, antinuclear movements, Mothers Against Driving, disability rights movement

unfulfilled rising expectations

newly raised hopes of a better lifestyle that are not fulfilled as rapidly as the people expected or are not realized at all

civil disobedience

nonviolent action that seeks to change a policy or law by refusing to comply with it

frame amplification

occurs when movements appeal to deeply held values and beliefs in the general population and link those to movement issues so that people's preexisting value commitments serve as a "hook" that can be used to recruit them

frame extension

occurs when movements englarge the boundaries of an initial frame to incorporate other issues that appear to be of importance to potential participants

relative deprivation

people who are discontent when they compare their achievements with those of others consider themselves relatively deprived and join social movements in order to get what they view as their "fair share," especially when there is an upswing in the economy followed by a decline

political opportunity

people will choose the options for collective action (i.e., "opportunities") that are most readily available to them and those options that will produce the most favorable outcome for their cause

prognostic framing

pinpoints possible solutions or remedies, based on the target previously identified

motivational framing

provides a vocabulary of motives that compel people to take action

dominant emotion

publicly expressed feeling perceived by participants and observers as the most prominent in an episode of collective behavior

millenarian

religious movements that forecast that "the end is near" and assert that an immediate change in behavior is needed

gossip

rumors about the personal lives of individuals

religious movements (or expressive movements)

social movements that seek to produce radical change in individuals

institutionalization (or bureaucratization) stage

stage of social movement in which an organizational structure develops, and a paid staff (rather than volunteers) begins to lead the group; at this stage, the initial zeal and idealism of members may diminish as administrators take over management of the organization

coalescence state

stage of social movement in which people begin to organize and to publicize; at this stage, some movements become formally organized at local and regional levels

preliminary (or incipiency) stage

stage of social movement in which widespread unrest is present as people begin to become aware of a problem; at this stage, leaders emerge to agitate others into taking action

social change

the alteration, modification, or transformation of public policy, culture, or social institutions over time

public opinion

the attitudes and beliefs communicated by ordinary citizens to decision makers

environmental racism

the belief that a disproportionate number of hazardous facilities (including industries such as waste disposal/treatment and chemical plants) are placed in low-income areas populated primarily by people of color

relative depreivation

the discontent that people may feel when they compare their achievements with those of similarly situated persons and find that they have less than they think they deserve

circular reaction

the interactive communication between persons such that the discontent of one person is communicated to another, who, in turn, reflects the discontent back to the first person

frame alignment

the linking together of interpretive orientations of individuals and social movement organizations so that there is congruence between individual's interests, beliefs, and values and the movement's ideologies, goals, and activities

frame bridging

the process by which movement organizations reach individuals who already share the same worldview as the organization

frame transformation

the process whereby the creation and maintenance of new values, beliefs, and meanings induce movement participation by redefining activities and events in such a manner that people believe they must become involved in collective action

emergent norm theory

theory that emphasizes the importance of social norms in shaping crowd behavior

resource mobilization theory

theory that focuses on the ability of members of a social movement to acquire resources and mobilize people in order to advance their cause

convergence theory

theory that focuses on the shared emotions, goals, and beliefs that many people may bring to crowd behavior

contagion theory

theory that focuses on the social-psychological aspects of collective behavior; it attempts to explain how moods, attitudes, and behavior are communicated rapidly and why they are accepted by others

relative deprivation theory

theory that suggests that people who are satisfied with their present condition are less likely to seek social change

value-added theory

theory, developed by sociologist Neil Smelser, based on the assumption that certain conditions are necessary for the development of a social movement

riot

violent crowd behavior that is fueled by deep-seated emotions but not directed at one specific target

collective behavior

voluntary, often spontaneous activity that is engaged in by a large number of people and typically violates dominant-group norms and values; can take various forms, including crowds, mobs, riots, panics, rads, fashions, and public opinion