Society, Collective Behavior, Social Change, and Technology

Society, Collective Behavior, Social Change, and Technology

Collective Behavior:

Chapters 22 and 23: Sociology, Schaefer, 1995-2010

Spontaneous and unstructured behavior (Neil Smelser). Reaction to an ambiguous situation. An unpredictable source of social change.

Emergent Norm Perspective

1. Ambiguity of situation provides open ground for the emergence and redefinition of appropriate behavior.
2. New norms "emerge"

Value-Added Perspective

1. Series of structural and interactional conditions resulting in definite patterns of behavior.
2. Structural conduciveness (emergence of conflicting interests), structural strain, belief, precipitating event, mobilization and failure of social control

Assembling Perspective

1. How crowds come together (flash mobs)(flash mobs 2)
2. Periodic and non-periodic assemblies (word-of-mouth, recruitment)

TYPES of Collective Behavior:

• Publics
• Panics
• Crazes ("going viral": Lazy Sunday)