A crowd has been defined by many sociologists as a gathering of people with a common or shared purpose. This involves the idea of people coming together in a public system in order to work together or in some cases, do things that lead to a common end in sight. Crowds are viewed in many ways and contexts. This includes sports and entertainment where different people come together to do things. It also encompasses demonstrations and other public agitations like reactions to changes in the stock markets which lead to major modifications in mass attitudes. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the concept of crowd behavior and evaluate the theories and views that explain its composition and features from a Sociological perspective.
The Theory of Crowd Behavior
Crowd behavior is viewed within the context of mob psychology and other measures and systems because that is the most logical and productive approach through which group behavior and action can be analyzed. Crowd behavior involves an array of different perspectives and theories that explain how and why people undertake certain tasks and take up various characteristics when they are operating in a group. One of the earliest and most authoritative works on crowd behavior was done by the French sociologist, Gustave Le Bon.
Le Bon stated that crowd behavior is based on a collective racial unconscious mindset that people take up when they operate within groups. This is because in situations where people come together to do things, they lose their individual sense of what is right and wrong and in lieu of that, take up a characteristic that reflects a collective worldview. Hence, the sense of responsibility reduces and individuals’ acceptance of accountability diminishes.
Crowd behavior is therefore defined as “A sort of collective mind that will make them feel, think and act in a manner quite different from that in which each individual will feel, think and act were he in a state of isolation”. This is in reference to the fact that crowd behavior leads to a group identity that is different from an individual identity. And this is about the creation of a different identity which includes anonymity, loss of individual identity, loss of accountability and reduced responsibility for personal actions.
Crowd behavior is viewed within the context of different theories and concepts. This is often explained in three different theories:
Contagion Theory
Convergence Theory &
Emergent Norm Theory.
Contagion Theory
The contagion theory of crowd behavior was the most basic and the most fundamental theory of crowd behavior. It was put forward in the 19th Century by Gustave Le Bon and seeks to describe the actions of crowd and groups that demonstrate and protest in groups. This was based on the lessons from the French Revolution which provided clues about how people define their actions and carry out activities in times when people are moved by a give situation in order to act in a certain way or manner.
The Contagion Theory asserts that in a crowd, every sentiment or emotion is contagious and people are influenced by the actions and processes of the members of the group. This has been viewed by some researchers as a form of hypnotic influence induced by group behavior. This is because when people enter a crowd and a group, they tend to lose their individual identity and focus on a common goal and a common act which make the group’s demands and expectations soar. Thus, for instance, when a person is in a rock concert or in a demonstration, that person suspends all personal desires and expectations and concentrates on the screaming and pays attention to the song and actions of the crowd.
The contagion theory also indicates that the group action and the crowd behavior is one that creates an emotionally charged environment. This is because when there are emotions and everyone seem to fit into the group and its related systems, there is a tendency for people to focus on things that are not very logical. Therefore, crowd behavior leads to a system where there is an irrationality against the people and there is an emotionally charged environment whereby people seem to put aside rational thought and focus on what is going on and try to do things that fit into the irrationality of things. This creates a disease and people tend to think and analyze things within a context of a predetermined system and process.
Therefore, the contagion theory of crowd behavior indicates that the crowd creates a unique identity. And this unique identity tends to lead to a common behavior of the different members of the group. This is because the identity that is created as a result of creating the group is meant to induce certain goals and ends. This often leads to some kind of collective behavior which is required for each member of the crowd.
However, the contagion theory seem to be limited to a mob action and group action that relates to the need to solve some particular emergency situation and change it for the best. This is because the contagion theory does not really explain the desires and expectations of the crowd before the group was formed. Rather, it looks at issues within the heat of the moment. It has little or no relevance or connection to the events that occurred before and after the event that the crowd seeks to address. This makes it a limited theory and a theory that falls short in dealing with the broader context of the group. Furthermore, it is steeped in extreme events in history like the French Revolution which was made up of a series of mass actions and mob actions and processes meant to deal with major problems and issues. The French Revolution saw massive demonstrations and destruction of public order. Therefore, this form of crowd behavior was just limited and focused on a small group of people.
Convergence Theory
Convergence theory is different from the contagion theory. The convergence theory states that the crowd behavior is not a result of the crowd itself, but as a result of individual needs and expectations of people which lead to the need for the crowd in the first place. Therefore, the crowd is formed by the convergence of like-minded people. This is because there are different people in society with different mindsets. Thus, when there are major problems and issues, people with the same mentality and the same mindset come together to form a crowd to achieve a common goal.
The convergence theory is very different from the contagion theory because unlike the contagion theory, there is a premeditated and presupposed goal that the crowd forms. This include something that people have thought of and examined before forming the crowd. On the other hand, the contagion theory seem to assert that the crowd is formed by people with an unclear end in sight. However, when they come together, the actions of the crowd in relation to a given situation leads them to act and do things in a certain way and a certain manner. This therefore defines the actions of the crowd and influences the way people think and analyze things. On the other hand, the convergence theory argues that people come together to achieve a common goal. This is a pre-imagined idea that people come together to achieve ideas and views.
The crowd behavior is based on collective action and this is a set of collective actions that causes the members of the group to converge. This indicates that crowd behavior is not influenced by what the crowd thinks or what the crowd seeks to achieve, but rather, by the expectations and desires of the individual members of the crowd. Therefore, people who want to act in a certain way come together to create the crowd. And this means that people have a strong view and control over affairs in the crowd and their actions are always based on what the group intended to achieve rather than what the situation or circumstances forced them to do.
Convergence theory teaches that crowds are rational. This is because they are made up of fragments of people who have thoughts and ideas of what they ought to achieve and as such, join the group to achieve these ends. Thus, unlike the contagion theory where the crowd assumes one unique and distinct identity, the convergence theory teaches that people come together to define a group and they retain their own unique identity and sense of purpose.
Emergent Norm Theory
This is a more dynamic theory of crowd behavior. It indicates that new norms develop or emerge as events happen. This depends on the communication and cues that circulates amongst the crowd. Thus, when the members of the crowd get certain kinds of information or updates, they tend to behave in a way and manner that suits the situation and circumstances at hand.
The emergent norm theory indicates that the crowd is formed by like-minded people as per the convergence theory. However, when they come together to achieve their goals as a group, they are influenced by the circumstances at hand. This is because the crowd is sensitive to situations and circumstances within the environment that the crowd operates. Thus, they look at the situation at hand and then examine the facts in order to define the most appropriate course of action in response.
The emergent norm theory asserts that there is no clear-cut and no specific form of crowd behavior. Rather, there is a reactionary approach through which crowds behave. This is done by being sensitive to information at hand. And when the information and circumstances are known by the members of the crowd, they carry out actions that are in sync to the situation and are appropriate responses to the realities at hand. A typical example of crowd behavior comes with the American people’s conception of terrorism. They had a different view of terrorism. It was seen as a distant threat that was restricted to people living on deserts in faraway lands. However, after 9/11, the crowd changed and Americans began to support tough action and swift effort meant to deal with terrorism. This is because the crowd changed their perception and their sensitivity to terrorism after they saw the collapse of the World Trade Center.
The emergent norm theory is a contingency theory. It is based on the realities of the situation within which the members of a group operate and find themselves. Hence, people tend to act and do things on the basis of what they see and what is presented before them. This is opposed to a certain predetermined system and approach to dealing with situations and circumstances as and when they come up.
Social Identity Theory
This is a broader context which tries to explain why there are certain actions by crowds in relation to specific situations. The social identity theory indicates that every crowd will seek to work within the core philosophy or ideology within which it operates. This is because in the modern state, human beings have to operate within a certain set of rules and regulations. There are political organizations and each has its own unique identity and features. In situations where there is a need for crowd actions, this is to be organized within the auspices of the group or the association that the members belong to. Therefore, there is a bias and a tilt towards undertaking crowd action in a way and manner that is in sync with the fundamental philosophy of the group. This causes people to take up an identity that reflects what a group stands for.
The social identity of a people shapes its group identity and its group behavior. This is because social identity define show people should behave and people are most likely to conduct themselves in ways that reflect their goals and core expectations in life. Therefore, if there is a demonstration involving pilots or doctors, there is a tendency for them to respect and honor their identity. This includes doing things that honors the code. On the other hand, if a group that positions itself as a violent organization has to demonstrate or carry out a crowd action, they will have to do a few things that will assert their strength in society. Thus, these things are meant to be a reflection of the social identity that a group of people seek to project and present to the wider society and the community at large.
The social identity theory projects major trends and processes in groups. It seem to be a predictable indicator of how the crowd will be formed. This is because it suggest there will be some kind of collective discussion before any crowd oriented event. And in such processes, there would be major procedures that will predict actions and processes.
Conclusion
Crowd behavior in Sociology examines the way and manner in which people behave when they are in groups and at an event. This involves the way the collective identity is taken up and utilized to achieve a common purpose of the group. There are different theories of crowd behavior. The simplest is the contagion effect where people take up actions in relation to what other members of the group are doing. Then there is the convergence theory which takes into account what people planned before and after the event and this inspires the activities of the crowd. Aside this, there is the emergent norm theory which is a contingent theory of how crowds behave. This is because crowds behave on the basis of what they see and what happens during a relevant event. However, there is the social identity theory which asserts that crows behave on the basis of the identity they represent. This defines the limits and parameters of actions that people take up and shapes the way and manner in which members of a group behave and carry out their activities during crowd action.
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