COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT

Collective behavior

- Relatively unstructured social situations not fully controlled by cultural norms of the group
- A new social order may come into being, social reforms are instituted and outworn social
structures are discarded
- Characteristics
o The act must be unusual
o The action must be taken by a group of people
o People involved must influence one another in some way
o Influence must occur with little or no planning
o There must be minimal or no organization of the group
o It is spontaneous

Nature of Collective Behavior

- it arises out of the ordinary and unusual situations characterized by uncertainty and feelings of
crisis that eviate from the normal and unexpected.
- This happens when there is a new stimulus and and society may have no ready norm for it.
People return to normal behavior when the stimulus diminishes
- People would act in relatively undiffirentiated patterns of behavior
- may be highly emotional, irrational, and spontaneous since this happens in situations of stress

Determinants of Collective Behavior

Certain conditions must exist simultaneously for collective behavior to happen

1. structural conduciveness – existence of places or mood that may contribute to conflict or any
stimulus that leads to collective behavior
2. structural strain – a major determinant, brought about by conflict between real and ideal norms
or between expectations and reality
3. generalized belief – brought about by the inability of the participants to define and analyze the
problem and share a common interpretation for it for collective action
4. precipitating factors – factors that “trigger” collective behavior
5. mobilization for action – a series of actions that takes place when collective behavior is
mustered
6. operation of social control – consists of the actions of the mass media and government groups
when they try to suppress or influence collective behavior

Situations That May Arise to Collective Behavior

1. when existing patterns of social organization is inadequate and irrelevant for coping with the
challenge of everyday life
2. when there is an increasing indication that the social control is becoming weaker to check on
the deviation committed by members
 3. when people are faced with a new and different situation which they have not yet encountered
before.

Social Movements

- one of the major forms of collective behavior

- this is distinct from unplanned collective behavior due to three reasons
o it is more longer lasting
o more purposeful and goal oriented
o more structured
- participants of these movements concertedly plan with deliberate effort to bring about changes
which they perceive to be desirable to society
- the development of social movements in the Philippines began from the Spanish period through
the American and Japanese periods up to the present
- Some examples of social movements in the Philippines (both past and present)
o GABRIELA
o Propaganda Movement
o Kapisanan ng Magsasaka sa Pilipinas
o Nuclear Free Philippines Movement
o Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan

Development of Social Movements

- It usually follows four stages of development;

o Social Unrest – 1st stage, normally characterized by unfocused restlessness and
increasing disorder. People initially do not know that other people share the same
sentiments until they let the public know their discontent
o Popular excitement – 2nd stage, people with similar concerns begin to establish rapport
with one another and openly and vehemently express their anger and restlessness
o Formalization – 3rd stage, the stage where the formal structure is developed and
institutionalized where rules, policies and strategies are clearly laid out
o Institutionalization – 4th stage, the movement becomes integrated into society and has
a permanent office and personnel to continue its efforts for bringing about social change

Types of Social Movements

1. Reactionary
- Advocates the restoration of values and behaviors of the past.
- Attempts to preserve the traditional values and social relationships and reacts negatively to
whatever change will destroy the preservation of the existing values
2. Conservative
- Attempts to protect the status quo and resist change
3. Reform
- Seeks to modify specific types of social change in various areas of life such as political, economic,
social, cultural, and religious dimensions without destroying or changing the entire system
4. Revolutionary
- Seeks to change the whole social order as a means of creating a new one.