Exam 21: Collective Behavior and Social Movements

Why do the prolife and prochoice campaigns qualify as being social movements?

During the Rodney King trial, the people of Los Angeles were at a heightened state of stress and frustration, especially the African American population. When the police officers accused of brutality against King were found not guilty, the city erupted into a full-scale riot. The not guilty verdict would qualify as being a(n) ________.

The members of a crowd most important in setting it on a particular course of action are classified as ego-involved.

What are the three types of public responses to social movements?

According to Charles Mackay, Gustave LeBon, and Robert Park, the crowd transforms the individual. Explain what each theorist meant by that and how this affected the field of collective behavior.

The term role extension was used to describe the behavior of employees of a supper club who helped customers to safety when the club caught fire. How might this term be applied to professional first responders, such as fire fighters, police, and EMTs? Why is the term not appropriate to apply to these individuals?

Alan is part of a group protesting the reductions in student financial aid at Boston University. He is presently a junior and is protesting because without financial aid, he cannot complete his degree. Based on Turner and Killian's identification of the type of people who participate in collective behavior, Alan would be considered a(n) ________.

The popularity of "Tickle Me Elmo," Beanie Babies, and Cabbage Patch Kids are all examples of behaviors that appear quickly and then quickly disappear. These situations are referred to as ________.

Match the term with the definition. 1) social contagion 2) minimax strategy 3) emergent norms 4) panic 5) role extension 6) mass hysteria 7) moral panic 8) fad 9) craze 10) flash mob 11) fashion 12) urban legend 13) social movement 14) millenarian social movement 15) agent provocateur -A) Turner's and Killian's term for people developing new norms to cope with a new situation to explain crowd behavior B) an imagined threat that causes physical symptoms among a large number of people C) a sense of excitement that is passed from one person to another in an acting crowd D) a story with an ironic twist that sounds realistic but is false E) someone who joins a group in order to spy on it or sabotage it by provoking its members to commit extreme acts F) the condition of being so fearful that one cannot function normally and may even flee G) a very short and intense fad H) a large group of people who are organized to promote or resist some social change I) a social movement based on the prophecy of coming social upheaval J) the incorporation of additional activities into a role K) a behavior craze of 2003 that involved large numbers of participants engaging in harmless behavior as if on cue and then dispersing just as quickly L) Richard Berk's term for the efforts people make to minimize their costs and maximize their rewards M) a pattern of behavior that catches people's attention and lasts a relatively long time N) a fear that grips a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society followed by hostility or violence O) a temporary pattern of behavior that catches people's attention

What does research show as the most common background condition of urban riots?

Who are the gatekeepers to social movements who play a very important role in the movement's success?

Jennifer has stopped buying Disney movies because her best friend, who is a professor of childhood studies, told her there are subliminal messages in The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and other Disney films suggesting sexual activity and a devaluation of women. Which phrase best describes Jennifer's behavior?

A social movement that becomes institutionalized will most likely lead to violence directed against authorities.

Turner and Killian have categorized crowd participants into five types. What are those types and what are the characteristics of each type?

Some agent provocateurs that are employed to spy on a social movement convert to the movement's goals. Sociologist Gary Marx suggested several reasons for their conversion. Which of the following was not one of the reasons suggested by Marx?

Flash mobs, a behavior craze of 2003, resulted in a considerable degree of injury and property loss.

Jeff and Matthew are middle-class members of their community. Each earns a good living with a good paying job. When a riot occurred over the rationing of gasoline, both Jeff and Matthew looted stores and destroyed property. According to sociologist Victor Rodriquez, why did Jeff and Matthew participate in the riot?

Collective behavior always involves something unusual. How did Turner and Killian predict people would react to deal with the novel situation?

The three main factors associated with rumors being effective are importance, ambiguity and source.

Research by Bainbridge and others suggests The War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938 did not result in widespread panic as has been reported.