COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR

Wilhem A. Ortiz Jr.

BSED English 2C
 Meaning of Collective Behavior

• Collective behavior refers to social behavior that is relatively

spontaneous, transitory, emotional, and unpredictable.
• Collective behavior is a relatively spontaneous activity
involving a large number of people that do not conform to
established norms.
• Much collective behavior is not stable and not predictable,
but changeable and episodic.
• Collective behavior is also defined as temporary, relatively
undifferentiated patterns of behavior that are not guided by
shared norms (Storer, 1980).
• Collective behavior is non-routine action by an emotionally
aroused gathering of people who face an ambiguous situation
(Lofland, 1985).
 Determinants of Collective Behavior

The following are some determinants of collective behavior:

1. When the existing pattern of social organization is
inadequate and irrelevant coping with the challenge
of everyday life, collective behavior arises.
2. Collective behavior also arises when there is an
increasing indication that social control is becoming
weak in checking on the deviation committed by
members.
3. When people are faced with new different situation,
which they have never encounter before, collective
behavior is formed.
 Characteristics of a group involved in
Collective Behavior

Some of the characteristics of a group involved in

collective behavior are:
1. It is composed of relatively large number of
people.
2. Its relative anonymity prevails.
3. It is usually temporary in nature.
4. It lacks formal organization in terms of an
established system of differentiated positions.
 Types of Collective Behavior

A. Crowd
B. Hysteria and Panic
C. Crazes, Fads, and Fashions
D. Rumor and Gossip
E. Public Opinion
 A. Crowd

• Is a temporary collection of people reacting to the same

stimulus for a particular period of duration.

• Types of Crowds
– As identified by Blumer (1988), the following are the
different types of crowds:
1. Casual crowd – This is the cluster of people who are
gathered together because of an event or happening.
2. Conventional crowd – People are gathered because of
a pre-arranged activity.
3. Expressive crowd – This kind of crowd is formed
around an event that has an emotional appeal.
 A. Crowd

4. Acting crowd – Members are actually involved in

the event.
a. Riot – This refers to the restless, unorganized
behavior of crowd whose actions are directed
against one another or targets.
b. Mob – An acting crowd that becomes violent is
termed a mob, a highly emotional crowd in
common pursuit of some violent or destructive
goal.
c. Orgy – This is a ravel crowd which transgresses
the normal mores.
 A. Crowd

Explanation for Crowd Behavior

Crowd behavior has been explained in various ways. Here are
some of the theories that explain crowd behavior:
1. Contagion Theory – Gustav Le Bon (1968), a French
thinker, believed that when people are in the crowd, a
collective consciousness emerges.
2. Convergence Theory – This theory stresses the idea
that participants of a crowd are basically revealing
their true selves (Vander Zanden, 1990).
3. Emergent-norm Theory – Ralph Turner and Lewis
Killian (1987) formulated the emergent-norm theory
of crowd dynamics.
 B. Hysteria and Panic

• Panic and hysteria are related forms of collective behavior

characterized by heightened emotions among people
dispersed over a wide area.
• Panic is an abnormal response of people who are facing life-
threatening situations.
• Stedman’s Medical Dictionary defines mass hysteria as a
socially contagious frenzy of irrational behavior in a group of
people as a reaction to an event.
• Although it is normal for a person to react in case there is
threat to his/her life, the response is overly exaggerated.
 C. Crazes, Fads, and Fashions

• These forms of behavior are longer in duration than the crowd

and considered to be more responses to opportunities rather
than threats (Storer, 1980).
1. Fads – refer to the activities, objects of interest, style or
trends that are popular or acceptable for only short
period of time.
2. Fashion – refers to the preferred mode of dressing,
adornment, or a way of life at a given period of time by a
large number of people.
3. Crazes – These develops when particular objects are
given unusually high values, and become the obsessions
of individuals.
 D. Rumor and Gossip

• Rumor is unsubstantiated information spread informally,

often by word of mouth.
• Rumor has three essential characteristics:
1. Rumor thrives in a climate of ambiguity.
2. Rumor is unchangeable.
3. Rumor is typically difficult to stop.

• Closely related to rumor is gossip, the unconfirmed or

unsubstantaited information on the personal affairs of other
people.
• Charles Horton Cooley (1964)
 E. Public Opinion

• One form of highly dispersed collective

behavior is public opinion, which is defined as
the widespread attitude toward one or more
controversial issue. Horton and Hunt (1968)
defined public opinion as a number of people
who are concerned over, divided upon, and in
discussion about an issue.