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| © 2011 Franz Härtel |
By Christopher Michael Czechowicz
Photos by Franz Härtel
It’s no surprise that rioters are disorderly. Collective Behavior theory may explain why on 26 March 2011 parts of London went up flames.
Yesterday's rioting over budget cuts in London reminds me yet again of the problem of group behavior in demonstrations, and the international scope of the problem. The mob rule that presided in the late hours following the TUC’s “March for the Alternative” only makes me more curious about the origins of riotous behavior and its global spread.
Oftentimes, when people with a legitimate grievance convene to march, a “black bloc” of extremists will form and take the spotlight from nonviolent demonstrators with property destruction of violence. Examples of such behavior include the property destruction that occurred at the 1999 Seattle WTO conference Starbucks coffeeshops and the 2009 London G-20 Meltdown’s Bank branch of the Royal Bank Of Scotland. But what causes these groups to form?
Undoubtedly, the leaders of fringe factions in any riot will claim a groundswell of revolutionary fervor or excellent organization is their backing, and their movements are the displays of a large dissatisfaction with a regime. Others suggest there is more of an ad hoc development of these groups, but which seems more plausible? Interaction theory in sociology attempts to explain such questions. Here’s where theoretical examples are very relevant.
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| © 2011 Franz Härtel |
The first example, contagion theory, a concept forwarded by Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), attempts to describe crowd behavior as a “collective mind”.
“Le Bon…argued that people are more likely to engage in antisocial behavior in a crowd because they are anonymous and feel invulnerable…(he)…suggested that a crowd takes on a life of its own that is larger than the beliefs or actions of any one person…Because of its anonymity, the crowd transforms individuals from rational beings into a single organism with a collective mind.”
The theory also suggests that there is an emotional aspect to this as well.
“LeBon asserted that emotions such as fear and hate are contagious in crowds because people experience a decline in personal responsibility; they will do things as a collectivity that they would never do when acting alone.’ (Kendall 545).
The second concept, collective behavior in social unrest, advanced by sociologist Robert E. Park, suggests LeBon’s theory “…lacked several important elements. Intrigued that people could break away from the powerful hold of culture and their established routines to develop a new social order, Park added the concepts of social unrest and circular reaction to contagion theory.” (Kendall 546)”.
Park’s work suggests that social unrest is “transmitted by a process of circular reaction, the interactive communication between persons such that the discontent of one person is communicated to another, who, in turn, reflects the discontent back to the first person (Park and Burgess, 1921)” (Kendall 546).
The third, Convergence theory suggests that the “shared emotions, goals, and beliefs that many people may bring to crowd behavior…” are relevant. “Because of their individual characteristics, many people have a predisposition to participate in certain kinds of activities (Turner and Killian, 1993). From this perspective, people with similar attributes find a collectivity of like-minded persons with whom they can express their underlying personal tendencies. Although people may reveal their “true selves” in crowds, their behavior is not irrational; it is highly predictable to those who share similar emotions or beliefs” (Kendall 546)
Though convergence theory has been applied from “…lynch mobs to environmental movements…”, Emergent Norm Theory “…emphasizes the importance of social norms in shaping crowd behavior…sociologists Ralph Turner and Lewis Killian (1993:12) asserted that crowds develop their own definition of a situation and establish norms for behavior that fit the occasion…emergent norms occur when people define a new situation as highly unusual or see a long-standing situation in a new light… (Kendall 546)”
So when describing the events in London, what do we make of the change from a calm rally to a violent conflagration? According to Turner and Killan:
…some emergent norms are permissive - that is, they give people a shared conviction that they may disregard ordinary rules such as waiting in line, taking turns, or treating a speaker courteously. Collective activity such as mass looting may be defined (by participants) as taking what rightfully belongs to them and punishing those who have been exploitative…”
“…Once a crowd reaches some agreement on the norms, the collectivity is supposed to adhere to them. If crowd members develop a norm that condones looting for vandalizing property, they will proceed to cheer for those who conform and ridicule those who are unwilling to abide by the collectivity’s new norms. Emergent theory points out that crowds are not irrational. Rather, new norms are developed in a rational way to fit the immediate situation.” (Kendall 546)
But even this theory has its critics.
“…the proponents of this perspective fail to specify exactly what constitutes a norm, how new ones emerge, and how they are so quickly disseminated and accepted by a wide variety of participants ” (Kendall 547)
In general, all of this mass behavior “takes place when people (who are often geographically separated from one another) respond the same event in much the same way” (Kendall 547).
It is that sense of geographic distance that is also interesting in a theortical context.
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| ©2011 Franz Härtel |
Though the London protests were primarily directed at the affairs primarily affecting British laborers, outside groups would soon direct anger at anything within the vicinity of central London that was perceived as undesirable.
As we’ve seen over the course of at least the last 12 years, the emergence of a globally aware, technologically savvy population might contribute to angers being directed towards other forces aside from domestic institutions, particularly the bastions of globalization – multinational franchise businesses, international organizations, or financial service providers. High-end multinational clothing retailer TopShop and Multi-national banks HSBC and Santander were such organizations that experienced property damage around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus branches. Fueled by the rhetoric of class distinctions, social immobility and inequity, domestic and international targets were struck in the same day. In the late hours, the London skyline burned brightly. Whether or not there is correlation the domestic and international in a broader sense remains to be seen.
Of course, all of the explanations about riot origins could be hyperbolic; who are we to assign a greater significance to the knocking over of random dustbins and the immolation of refuse? I, for one, would prefer to know why, but apparently, that background and desire to understand larger implications isn’t widely evident in international media.
As always, the battle of theory versus praxis rages on. Theory suggests a social, human element to these events that transcends nationality. This time it was evident on London streets.
Sources cited:
Collective Behavior,Social Movement Theory . (n.d.). F. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from ociologyguide.com/questions/collective-behavior-social-movements.php
Collective behavior - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_behavior">
Kendall, D. (n.d.). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials - Google Books. Google Books. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from books.google.co.uk/books?id=vsbhwKM3QcMC&lpg=PA545&ots=Io2xnzKTYx&dq=le%20bon%20contagion%20theory&pg=PA546#v=onepage&q=le%20bon%20contagion%20theory&f=falseSawer, P., Barrett, D., Howie, M., & Leach, B. (n.d.). TUC march: How a family day out turned to mayhem - Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8409259/TUC-march-How-a-family-day-out-turned-to-mayhem.html
collective behaviour (psychology) :: Interaction theories -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/125544/collective-behaviour/25319/Interaction-theories?anchor=ref20615
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