Collective Behavior, Social Movements and Activism. Collective behavior is defined as activity involving a relatively large number of people that is often spontaneous. It is typically short-term behavior. Social movements and activism are organized and relatively sustained activities that have a clear goal in terms of achieving or preventing some social change.

Sociologyindex	Collective Behavior					Sociology Books 2008
	Abstracts	Collective Behavior Books	Bibliography	Syllabus	Journals
	Collective behavior is defined as activity involving a relatively large number of people that is often spontaneous. It is typically short-term behavior. Social movements and activism are organized and relatively sustained activities that have a clear goal in terms of achieving or preventing some social change. Throughout history, in all societies and civilizations, people have absorbed themselves in episodes of dramatic behavior, such as the crowd, the riot, and the revolution. The nature of these episodes has long attracted a curiosity that has evolved into a loosely defined field of sociology and a concept known as collective behavior. Sociologists define collective behavior as "the actions, often disorganized, taken by a large number of people gathered together usually in defiance of society's norms." The three generalized types of collective behavior are: localized, which include crowds/mobs/riots dispersed, or mass behavior, which include rumor/gossip/fads/public opinion/propaganda. social movements The Importance of Learning Collective Behavior Studying collective behavior can be very practical and useful in today's society. One example is the safety of people who become involved in crowds. There have been numerous accounts of crowds/mobs/riots that have turned dangerous and even fatal. People have been trampled to death at concerts, building panics, and crowd surges in the past; but, had there been knowledge of crowd management and behavior, along with better architectural design, injury and loss of life could have been avoided. Studying collective behavior will allow people to better understand how people respond in certain situations. Predicting these outcomes can help prevent conflict from becoming worse in a destructive way. What Is Collective Behavior? People in many countries have taken to the streets protesting against US action in Iraq. Divided groups are on the street demanding or opposing abortion rights, gay marriages or gender discrimination. Many people have started wearing tattoos instead of clothes. All these come under collective behavior. Collective behavior includes a range of behaviors based on concern and attitude or just panic and fads. It includes many sociological sub-fields. Many areas of sociology involve the study of behavior but they tend to be restricted to niche areas. University syllabii for "Collective Behaviour" course lists crowds, panics, social movements and many more. But what is common to them. What should be part of the list? and what should not be? Will a silent peaceful march be included? Is a labor dispute based on agreed rights collective behaviour? Is a religious congregation an example of collective behaviour? For a complete essay on Collective Behaviour go to: web.mit.edu/gtmarx/www/cbchap1.html

The purpose of the Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements is to foster the study of emergent . . . - asanet.org/sections/collect.html

Collective Behavior and Social Movements mhhe.com/socscience/sociology/gelles/gelles6soc_s/17review.htm

Collective behavior is defined as activity involving a relatively large number of people that is often spontaneous and very typically in violation of established social norms. It is typically short-term behavior that is concluded in a matter of hours or days. Social movements, by contrast, are organized and relatively sustained activities that have a clear goal in terms of achieving or preventing some social change. northern.wvnet.edu/~gnorton/soc125/soclec23.htm

Park's view is that society is best conceived as the product of interactions between component individuals which are controlled by a body of traditions and norms that arise in the process of interaction. Social control is "the central fact and the central problem of society www2.pfeiffer.edu/~lridener/DSS/Park/PARKW2.HTML

Catastrophe and Social Change - how quick response field studies could be made immediately before, during, and right after disasters. Much of this research was guided by ideas from the sociological speciality of collective behavior. - udel.edu/DRC/IRCD/Origins.html

Social change and collective behavior; what is collective ... what are the primary forms

of mass behavior ... Group 3: What are the major types of social movement ... nv.cc.va.us/home/kkihl/QuesSoc202.htm

Critical Mass Newsletter - news and information about Collective Behavior and Social Movements. - www.u.arizona.edu/~jearl/newsltr.htm

Daniel J. Myers: Parital... In Suzanne Staggenborg and Bert Klandermans, (eds.), Methods in Social Movement Research.

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