What are the theories of collective behavior?

What are the theories of collective behavior?

Convergence theory assumes that crowd behavior reflects the preexisting values and beliefs and behavioral disposition of the individuals who join a crowd. Emergent norm theory assumes that norms emerge after people gather for collective behavior, and that their behavior afterward is largely rational.

How did Le Bon explain crowd Behaviour?

Le Bon’s 1895 book, The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind, attributed crowd behavior to the ‘collective racial unconscious’ of the mob overtaking individuals’ sense of self and personality and personal responsibility. The theory suggests that crowds exert a sort of hypnotic influence on their members.

Who is father of collective IHA theory?

Neil Smelser, John Lofland, and others have proposed three corresponding forms of the crowd: the panic (an expression of fear), the craze (an expression of joy), and the hostile outburst (an expression of anger).

What is strain theory Robert Merton?

According to Merton’s strain theory, societal structures can pressure individuals into committing crimes. Classic Strain Theory predicts that deviance is likely to happen when there is a misalignment between the “cultural goals” of a society (such as monetary wealth) and the opportunities people have to obtain them.

Which is the final condition of Neil Smelser’s Value-Added theory for collective behavior to occur?

The final condition relates to action by the agents. Called social control, it is the only way to end the collective behavior episode (Smelser 1962).

What did Gustave Le Bon argue about the crowd?

Le Bon developed the view that crowds are not the sum of their individual parts, proposing that within crowds there forms a new psychological entity, the characteristics of which are determined by the “racial unconscious” of the crowd.

What is group mind theory?

(i) Group-mind Theory: According to the Group-mind theory the individual in the crowd loses his individuality and becomes a part of the crowd which comes to develop its own crowd consciousness. The crowd consciousness supplants the individual consciousness of the individuals.

What are the three theories of collective behavior?

There are three main theories on collective behavior. The first, the emergent-norm perspective, emphasizes the importance of social norms in crowd behavior. The next, the value-added theory, is a functionalist perspective that states that several preconditions must be in place for collective behavior to occur.

What is McPhail’s collective action theory?

Unlike previous theories, this theory refocuses attention from collective behavior to collective action. Remember that collective behavior is a noninstitutionalized gathering, whereas collective action is based on a shared interest. McPhail’s theory focused primarily on the processes associated with crowd behavior, plus the lifecycle of gatherings.

What conditions add to the likelihood that collective behavior will occur?

Each condition adds to the likelihood that collective behavior will occur. The first condition is structural conduciveness, which occurs when people are aware of the problem and have the opportunity to gather, ideally in an open area.

What is Clark McPhail theory in sociology?

Interactionist sociologist Clark McPhail (1991) developed assembling perspective, another system for understanding collective behavior that credited individuals in crowds as rational beings. Unlike previous theories, this theory refocuses attention from collective behavior to collective action.