collective behavior
relatively spontaneous and relatively unstructured behavior by large numbers of individuals acting with or being influenced by other individuals
crowd
large number of people who gather together with a common short-term or long-term purpose
mob
an intensely emotional crowed that commits or is ready to commit violence
panic
a sudden reaction by a crowd that involves self-destructive behavior
riot
a relatively spontaneous outburst of violence by a large group of people
social movement
an organized effort by a large number of people to bring about or impede social, political, economic, or cultural change
disaster
an accident or natural catastrophe that causes many deaths and much property destruction
disaster behavior
behavior that occurs during and after a disaster
rumor
a story based on unreliable sources that is nonetheless passed on from one person to another person
mass hysteria
widespread, intense fear of and concern for a danger that turns out to be false or greatly exaggerated
moral panic
widespread concern over a perceived threat to the moral order that turns out be false or greatly exaggerated
fad
an insignificant activity or product that is popular for a short time
craze
a temporary activity that attracts the obsessive enthusiasm of a relatively small group of people
contagion theory
collective behavior is emotional and irrational and results from the hypnotic influence of the crowd
convergence theory
crowd behavior reflects the beliefs and intentions that individuals already share before they join a crowd
emergent norm theory
people are not sure how to behave when they begin to interact in collective behavior. As they discuss their potential behavior, norms governing their behavior emerge, and social order and rationality then guide their behavior
value-added theory
collective behavior results when several conditions exist, including structural strain, generalized beliefs, precipitating factors, and lack of social control
relative deprivation
the feeling by individuals that they are deprived relative to some other group or to some ideal state they haven't reached
resource mobilization theory
view that social movements are a rational response to perceived grievances and that they arise from efforts by social movement leaders to mobilize the resources, especially the time, money, and energy, of aggrieved peoples and to direct them into effectiv
political opportunity theory
the view that a social movement is more likely to arise and persist when economic or political conditions weaken the government's ability to oppose the movement