Societies occasionally experience a phenomenon in which a group of people begin to act in unpredicted ways. This is referred to as collective behavior, “the relatively spontaneous and unstructured behavior of a group of people who are reacting to a common influence in an ambiguous situation” (Schaefer, 2018).
Crowds, actions of disaster victims, and rumors are considered some forms of collective behavior.
- Discuss at least 1 fad (try to pick 1 from your childhood) that seems to have faded away. Pictures (appropriate ones) are encouraged to refresh your classmates’ memories.
- How can collective behavior contribute to social movements and eventually social change?
