SOCPSY 1Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Symbolic Interactionism, Gustave Le Bon, French Revolution
3 Apr 2016
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Social psychology - mar 31 - collective behaviour. Two or more individuals engaged in behaviour judged common or concerted on one or more dimensions. Dimensions: spatial, temporal, scale (how big/complicated it is) Crowds are temporary gatherings of people in close physical proximity, engaging in a joint activity. A large variety of activities (milling around, looting, etc. ) Some argue that a mental unity of the crowd" exists. This unanimity leads participants to think, feel, and act in ways that are different than if each member were alone. Gustave le bon (1841-1931) - the crowd: a study of the popular mind (1895) Deindividuation: crowds create anonymity and reduce perceptions of personal responsibility. Le bon: individual identity and self-control disappears, giving way to primitive, barbaric state. Contagion: tendency for people to imitate other people. In dense crowds, imitation of behaviours spreads quickly, creating appearance of a unanimous mass. Theories are not developed in a historical vacuum. Theories are often shaped by ideological agendas.
