10.2 Collective Behavior

LO 10.2: Contrast different forms of collective behavior.

Collective behavior includes various social phenomena: crowds, fads, gatherings, and more. Any coordinated effort involving two or more people is considered collective behavior. The study of collective behavior focuses on how individuals come together and act as a group instead of as individuals. Collective behavior occurs when people come physically together, such as at a sporting event or waiting in line, and behave as a group. For instance, fans cheer, boo, or do the wave as a group at a sporting event.

Sociologists study a wide range of collective behavior. Of particular interest is how groups of people behave and how that differs from how they act as individuals. For instance, when people are part of a crowd, they may engage in behavior that they would never do alone, like rioting or mobbing (Borch & Schiermer, 2021).

Some of the different forms of collective behavior have been categorized into two groups based on whether they have more negative elements (like arson) or positive elements (supporting neighbors) for the purpose of readability. All of these forms of collective behavior could have negative and positive elements.