Sociology Final Part 6 – Flashcards
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Collective Behavior
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activity involving a large number of people that is unplanned, often controversial, and sometimes dangerous
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Primary Characteristics of Collective Behavior
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Diverse(involves wide range of human action), Variable(some rumors may catch on, some dont), and Transitory(disasters, rumors, and fads come and go quickly)
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Collectivity
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large number of people whose minimal interaction occurs in the absence of well-defined and conventional norms. There are two types: localized and dispersed. Group of people of who think of themselves belonging to an identifiable social unit (political party)
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Three Key Differences of Collectivity
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People in collectivities have little or no social interaction, collectivities have no clear social boundaries group members share sense of identity, and collectivities generated weak and unconventional norms.
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Difference Between Collectivity and Groups
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A collectivity does not have a regular pattern of interaction among members.
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Contagion Theory on Collective Behaviors
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shielded by anonymity found in large numbers, people forget about personal responsibility and give life of its own, stirring up emotions and driving people toward irrational, even violent, action.
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Convergence Theory on Collective Behaviors
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crowd behavior comes not only from the crowd itself, but also from the particular people who join in
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Emergent-Norm Theory
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if similar interests draw people into a crowd, distinctive patterns of behavior may emerge.
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Social Movement
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an organized activity that encourages or discourages social change
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Types of Social Movement
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Personal Transformation Movement and Social Change Movements
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Alternative Social Movements
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seek limited change in only a party of the population. Aim to help certain people alter their lives. Falls under personal transformations movement
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Redemptive Social Movements
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also target specific people, but seek radical change. Aim to help certain people redeem their lives. (ex. alcoholics anonymous). Falls under personal transformations movement
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Reformative Social Movements
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aim for only limited social change but target everyone. Generally work inside the existing political system: some are progressive, some are reactionary. Falls under social change movements
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Revolutionary Social Movements
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most extreme, seek the transformation of an entire society. reject existing social institutions as flawed in favor of a radically new alternative. Falls under social change movements
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Deprivation Theory of Social Movements
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holds that social movements seeking change arise among people who feel deprived. People who feel they lack enough income, safe working conditions, basic political rights, or plain human dignity may organize a social movement to bring about more just state of affairs.
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Mass-Society Theory of Social Movements
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argues that socially isolated people seek out social movements as a way to gain a sense of belonging and importance
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Culture Theory of Social Movements
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the recognition that social movements depend not only on material resources and the structure of political power, but also on cultural symbols
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Resource-Mobilization Theory of Social Movements
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any social movement rises or falls on how well it attracts resources, mobilizes people, and forges alliances.
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Structural-Strain Theory of Social Movements
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Identifies six factors that encourage the development of social movements: structural conduciveness, structural strain, growth and spread of an explanation, precipitating factors, mobilization for action, and lack of social control
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Political Economy Theory of Social Movements
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social movements arise in capitalist societies because the capitalist economic system fails to meet the needs of the majority of the people
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New Social Movement Theory of Social Movements
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suggests recent social movements in the postindustrial society of North American and Western Europe have a new focus. First, old social movements are most concerned with economic issues, but new social movements tend to focus on improving our social and physical surroundings. Second, social movements are becoming global. Third, new social movements usually draw support from middle and upper classes
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Stages in Social Movements
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emergence, coalescence, bureaucratization, decline
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Emergence
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some social movements are born of widespread dissatisfaction; others emerge as a small group increasing public awareness of some issue
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Coalescence
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after emerging, social movement must define itself and develop strategy for "going public." Leaders must determine policies, decide on tactics to be used, build morale, and recruit new members.
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Bureaucratization
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to become a political force, a social movement must become an established bureaucratic organization. As this happens, the movement relies less on charisma and talents of a few leaders and more on a capable staff. If not established there is risk of it dissolving
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Decline
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eventually most social movements begin to decline. There are five reasons for this
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Five Reasons a Social Movement Declines
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Members have met goals which decline signals success; organizational failures; leaders are attracted by offers of money, prestige, or power from within the system; by repression the more revolutionary the more officials try to repress it; and social movements can go "mainstream" continue to flourish, no longer go against the status quo
