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Book No. – 002 (Sociology)
Book Name – Sociology (C.N. Shankar Rao)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
2. COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
3. A THEORY OF COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR
4. SOME FORMS OF MASS BEHAVIOUR
4.1. RUMOURS
4.2. FASHIONS AND FADS
4.3. THE FADS
4.4. PANICS AND MASS HYSTERIA
5. CROWD BEHAVIOUR
6. THEORIES OF CROWD BEHAVIOUR
7. MOBS AND RIOTS AS FORMS OF CROWD BEHAVIOUR
8. PUBLICS AND PUBLIC OPINION
8.1. Publics
8.2. Public Opinion
9. PROPAGANDA AND ITS TECHNIQUES
9.1. The Techniques of Propaganda
9.2. Limitations of Propaganda
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Collective Behaviour
Chapter – 37
Table of Contents
COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
- Collective behaviour refers to group behaviour not guided by the usual norms of conduct.
- In normal situations, people’s behaviour is governed by clear norms, but in certain circumstances, norms are suspended, and behaviour becomes unpredictable.
- Jan Robertson defines collective behaviour as spontaneous, unstructured ways of thinking, feeling, and acting by a large number of people.
- N.J. Smelser defines it as unorganised patterns of social interaction in human groups.
- An example of collective behaviour: In a normal classroom, students follow predictable norms, but in the event of a fire, the normal behaviour is disrupted, and the crowd’s actions become unpredictable.
- In panic situations, cooperative behaviour can break down, leading to disorganised rushes to exits, which might reduce escape chances.
- If leaders emerge during a crisis, they can help manage the situation and supervise an orderly exit, reducing panic.
- Collective behaviour is not governed by everyday norms, making it different from usual behaviour patterns.
- Characteristics of collective behaviour:
- It is temporary and unplanned.
- It is not regulated by rules or procedures.
- It is unpredictable due to the lack of defined norms.
- People gather at the scene of unusual events like accidents, riots, or fires, without prior planning and often without knowing one another.
- Anonymity in such situations leads to irresponsible behaviour.
- The events causing the gathering are typically unusual (e.g., riots, accidents, fires).
- Rumours and misinformation often spread during collective behaviour, contributing to disorder.
- Collective behaviour is driven by beliefs, hopes, fears, enmity, and hatreds.
- It can be related to the cultural pattern of the community, such as religious or caste-related reactions.
- For example, Muslims might react more strongly to religious matters, while Hindus might react more quickly to caste-related issues.