Key Terms
Collective behavior
Noninstitutionalized voluntary group activity.
Crowd
Large group in close proximity. Mass: large group sharing interests, not necessarily co-located.
LIMITATION
Critics say it ignores the broader cultural context; too focused on individual-level action.
Growth and spread of a generalized belief
Problem gets identified and attributed to a cause or person. 4.
Social movements
Purposeful, organized groups striving toward a common social goal. The key difference from general collective behavior i
Local
Affects a city, town, or campus. Can be a local hub of a national movement or entirely local.
Coalescence
People organize, publicize, and build momentum. 3.
Institutionalization
Movement becomes a formal organization with paid staff; no longer grassroots. 4.
Diagnostic framing
Clearly defines the problem. Us vs.
Frame Alignment Process
How movements recruit new members by linking their goals to others' goals.
Social change
Change in society created through social movements AND external factors. Intentional or random.
Definition
Process of increasing specialization and structural differentiation as societies move toward industrial and technologica
Technology contradiction
Time-saving technology often fails to save time. Average housework hours today equal those from fifty years ago.
Value-added theory
Six sequential conditions required for collective behavior. Assembling perspective: crowds as rational actors engaged in
Alternative movement
Focused on individual self-improvement.