University of Warwick

Department of Sociology

COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR

AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

SO 327

2003-2004

Convenor: Prof. Jim Beckford

Autumn 2003

J.A. Beckford

02476-523156

Room R3.38

General overview

This module will discuss the history and the present-day application of a wide variety of concepts, theories and methods to the sociological study of phenomena ranging from the ‘elementary forms’ of mobs, crowds, and panics to the sophisticated mobilisation of resources in deliberate pursuit of social change.

The first part of the module will cover conceptual and theoretical developments in the sociological understanding of collective behaviour. Special attention will be paid to recent studies of soccer hooligans and public disturbances. The second, and major, part of the module will be devoted to discussion of a series of theories and case studies of recent social movements in such areas as politics, religion, morality, feminism, animal rights and peace.

Formal specification

1. Subject knowledge and understanding

By the end of the module students will have acquired an advanced understanding of:

(a) the development of sociological concepts relating to extra-parliamentary, collective protest, public disorder and organised campaigns for social change in various countries

(b) debates about the place of collective behaviour and social movements in major theoretical perspectives in sociology on social change, inequalities, diversity and conflict

(c) the development of collective behaviour and social movements with special regard to their organisational forms, economic basis, public image, recruitment and retention strategies, use of information technology, relations between individual and collective identities, and attempts to control social movements

(d) the ethical and methodological issues that arise in the study of collective behaviour and social movements.

2. Cognitive skills

In the process of developing an advanced understanding of the substantive aspects of collective behaviour and social movements, students will also acquire the ability to:

(a) assess critically the value of competing perspectives on, and interpretations of, the complex causes, processes and outcomes of collective behaviour and social movements

(b) locate, retrieve, process and evaluate a wide range of materials about collective behaviour and social movements

(c) evaluate competing explanations and interpretations of collective behaviour and social movements in the light of appropriate evidence

(d) construct, present and discuss well-reasoned arguments about collective behaviour and social movements that take proper account of diverse intellective problems, methodological issues, theoretical perspectives and evidence.

3. Learning and teaching methods

The following selection of learning and teaching methods is designed to equip students with an advanced understanding of substantive knowledge and cognitive skills about collective behaviour and social movements. Students are required to prepare in advance for each week’s topic.

(a) a framework of 17 lectures and 2 video presentations that establish the module’s outer limits and internal logic

(b) 18 weekly seminars for discussion of general issues and specific topics, including collaborative work in smaller groups

(c) 2 formative, non-examined class essays

(d) self-directed study of material on the Internet

4. Assessment methods

Taking account of the upper limit imposed by the university on the extent to which students’ work may be formally assessed outside conventional examinations, students on this module can choose one of the following methods of assessment:

(i) answering 3 questions in a 3-hour, closed-book, written examination

(ii) answering 2 questions in a 2-hour, closed book, written examination AND submitting 1 assessed essay of not more than 3,000 words in a format specified by the Department of Sociology

(iii) submitting 2 assessed essays of not more than 3,000 words in a format specified by the Department of Sociology.

Each of these methods of assessment requires students to demonstrate the generic skills that are inculcated in the Department of Sociology’s Professional Skills Programme. Performance is assessed annually as part of the review of students’ progress. Special attention is given to:

(a) Time management

(b) Collaborative study and discussion

(c) Writing skills

(d) Use of Library and IT resources.

Examination questions are designed to assess substantive and cognitive learning outcomes by measuring students’ abilities to:

(a) formulate sociologically informed questions about collective behaviour and social movements

(b) summarise and explain empirical and theoretical knowledge about sociological studies of collective behaviour and social movements, including critical insight into the methods on which the studies are based

(c) employ, and make appropriate choices of, sociological research methods and tools in the study of collective behaviour and social movements

(d) gather and assess relevant empirical information about collective behaviour and social movements

(e) show awareness of, and sensitivity to, the ethical issues involved in the sociological study of collective behaviour and social movements

(f) present conclusions that follow logically from discussions of the political salience, theoretical framing, and substantive aspects of collective behaviour and social movements

(g) identify and evaluate the bearing of sociological studies of collective behaviour and social movements on issues of social and public policy.

Assessed essay questions are designed to test the ability of students to:

(a) formulate sociologically informed questions about collective behaviour and social movements

(b) summarise and explain empirical and theoretical knowledge about sociological studies of collective behaviour and social movements, including critical insight into the methods on which the studies are based. The ability to compare theoretical perspectives is tested.

(c) employ, and make appropriate choices of, sociological research methods and tools in the study of collective behaviour and social movements

(d) gather and assess relevant empirical information about collective behaviour and social movements

(e) show awareness of, and sensitivity to, the ethical issues involved in the sociological study of collective behaviour and social movements

(f) present conclusions that follow logically from discussions of the political salience, theoretical framing, and substantive aspects of collective behaviour and social movements. The ability to compare social movements is tested.

(g) identify and evaluate the bearing of sociological studies of collective behaviour and social movements on issues of social and public policy.


5. Schedule of written work

All students are expected to complete two class essays in addition to any assessed essays that they may also write. Class essays of about 1,500 words will be due before Week 8 of Term 1 and of about 2,000 words before Week 5 of Term 2.

The submission dates for assessed essays are Week 10 of Term 2 and Week 2 of Term 3.

IMPORTANT: see the Department's Student Guide for hints on preparing essays and for further details of assessment methods and procedures.

6. Reading

There is no textbook for this module, but required items for reading (marked with an * below) will be available in the Students' Reserve Collection. The expectation is that all participants in the module will read these items in advance of the tutorial to which they relate. In addition, supplementary readings are indicated in the schedule of meetings. Other materials for study include video films and Internet sites.

Paperback books which will be referred to at several points in the module include:

P. Byrne Social Movements in Britain, Routledge, 1997, £16 (this will be most useful)
N. Crossley Making Sense of Social Movements, Open University Press, 2002, £16.99 (good quality discussion of central theoretical issues)

G. Marx & D. McAdam Collective Behavior and Social Movements, Prentice-Hall, 1994

S. Lyman (ed) Social Movements: Critiques, Concepts, Case-Studies, Macmillan, 1995
D. della Porta & M. Diani Social Movements: an Introduction, Blackwell, 1999

7. PowerPoint slides

Copies of all the PowerPoint slides accompanying Jim Beckford’s lectures are available on his homepage at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academic/beckfordj/CBSM_PowerPoint_slides/

8. Evaluation

There will be two formal evaluations of the module: at the end of Term1 and at the end of Term 2, but students are encouraged to monitor the progress of lectures and tutorials throughout the module. Feedback is welcome at any stage.


THE MODULE AT A GLANCE

WEEK BEGINNING

TERM 1

2. 6th October Orientation and organisation of the module

3. 13th October ‘Crowd psychology’

4. 20th October The sociology of urban disorders

5. 27th October Video of Anti-poll tax demonstration

6. 3rd November ‘Soccer hooligans’

7. 10th November Resource mobilisation theory

8. 17th November Peace mobilisations

9. 24th November Carnival against capitalism

10 1st December Symbolic interactionism

TERM 2

1. 5th January Animal liberation and animals rights movements

2. 12th January New social movements

3. 19th January Environmental movements

4. 26th January New religious movements

5. 2nd February Apocalyptic movements

6. 9th February Reading Week (no classes)

7. 16th February Women’s movements

8. 23rd February Ultra-right wing political movements

9. 1st March American patriot and militia groups

10. 8th March Summary & revision


SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS

TERM ONE

Week beginning:

October 6th 2003

Lecture to outline the module and discuss the contents, etc.

Seminars to discuss written work and oral presentations

Preparatory reading:

* G. Marx & D. McAdam Collective Behavior and Social Movements, 1994, chap 1

October 13th

Approaches to the understanding of mobs and crowds have changed in accordance with wider changes in the sociological understanding of modern societies. Fears about the crowd's alleged threat to societal stability have largely given way to an interest in the dynamics of relatively unscheduled social events either for their own sake or for the sake of their contribution to healthy protest and change. This week's topic will chart the origins and early development of the sociology of the crowd, beginning in late-19th century France.

- What psychological assumptions underlie Le Bon's view of crowds?
- What is the connection between crowd psychology and politics ?
- Why does Le Bon connect crowds, women and religion together ?

R. Nye The Origins of Crowd Psychology, 1975, Chap. 4.

* G. Le Bon The Crowd, 1895. Chap 1 (Electronic copy of book at:

http://encyclopediaindex.com/b/tcrwd10.htm)

L. Bramson The Political Context of Sociology, 1964, Chap. 3.

S. Moscovici The Age of the Crowd, 1985, parts 1, 2.

C.F. Graumann & S. Moscovici (eds.) Changing Conceptions on Crowd Mind and Behavior, 1986, chap 2.

J.S. McClelland The Crowd and the Mob, 1989, Chap 7.

D. Waddington Contemporary Issues in Public Disorder, 1992, chap 10.

J. van Ginneken Crowds, Psychology and Politics 1871-1899, 1992, chap 4

C. McPhail The Myth of the Madding Crowd, 1991, chap 1

October 20th

Present-day interpretations of ‘inner city’ disturbances tend to emphasise their deep political implications. This emphasis is counterbalanced to some extent by the attention that has been given to the technicalities of urban disorders and to their policing.

- How far can the crowd psychology perspective help to explain urban riots ?

- What are the distinctive features of recent urban riots in the UK ?

- How important is it to examine the policing of disorders ?

G. Gaskell & R. Benewick (eds) The Crowd in Contemporary Britain. 1987, Chaps 2, 3 & 5.

D. Waddington et al. Flashpoints. Studies in Public Disorder. 1989, pp.1-23.

J. Solomos 'Riots, urban protest and social policy: the interplay of reform and social control', Policy Papers in Ethnic Relations, no. 7, Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick, 1986.

* D. Waddington Contemporary Issues in Public Disorder, 1992, chap 4.

M. Kettle & L. Hodges Uprising! The Police, the People and the Riots in Britain’s cities, 1982.

M. Keith Race, Riots and Policing, 1993

P.A.J. Waddington Liberty and Order, 1994

M. King & N. Brearly Public Order Policing, 1996

J. Benyon & J. Solomos (eds.) The Roots of Urban Unrest, 1987

P. Bagguley ‘Protest, poverty and power: a case study of the Anti-Poll Tax movement’, Sociological Review 43 (4) 1995: 693-719

Stott, Clifford, and John Drury. 2000. “Crowds, context and identity: dynamic categorization processes in the "poll tax riot".” Human Relations 53:247-73.

* Reiner, Robert. “Policing, protest, and disorder in Britain.” Pp. 35-48 in Policing Protest. The Control of Mass Demonstrations in Western Democracies, edited by Donatella della Porta and Herbert Reiter. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1998.

Waddington, P.A.J. 1998. “Controlling protest in contemporary historical and comparative perspective.” Pp. 117-40 in ibid.

Marx, Gary T. 1998. “Some reflections on the democratic policing of demonstrations.” Pp. 253-69 in ibid.

October 27th

Screening and discussion of video about the anti-poll tax demonstration in London in 1990.

November 3rd

Since the 1970s, sociological studies of collective behaviour have departed sharply from the alarmist response of the crowd psychologists. Some ethogenicists, for example, have categorized the behaviour of violent soccer fans as 'ritualistic', while there has been a tendency for some sociologists to interpret the same behaviour in terms of intra-class conflict. There has also been a reminder that students of collective behaviour tend to have overlooked 'crowd joys'. But the tendency of the most recent studies has been to focus on questions of collective identity and consumerism.

- What is an ethogenic understanding of unruly spectators?

- Can you 'explain' soccer hooliganism in terms of social class?

- What does hooliganism have to do with identity?

* E. Dunning et al. 'Spectator violence at football matches: towards a sociological explanation', British Journal of Sociology 37 (2) 1986: 221-44.

* P. Marsh, E. Rosser & R. Harré The Rules of Disorder, 1978, pp. 58-82

G. Armstrong Football Hooligans. Knowing the Score, 1998, esp. Part IV

A. King, ‘The lads: masculinity and the new consumption of football’, Sociology 31 (2) 1997: 329-46

The Sociological Review 39 (2) 1991 (entire issue of journal on football fans)

G. Armstrong & R. Harris ‘Football hooligans: theory and evidence’, The Sociological Review 39 (2) 1991: 427-58

V. Duke & L. Crolley ‘Football spectator behaviour in Argentina: a case of “separate evolution”’, The Sociological Review 44 (2) 1996: 272-93

J. Lofland Protest, 1985, Chap. 2

R. Benewick & R. Holton, ‘The peaceful crowd: crowd solidarity and the Pope’s visit to Britain’, pp. 200-11 in R. Gaskell & R. Benewick (eds.) The Crowd in Contemporary Britain, 1987

J. Williams, E. Dunning & P. Murphy Hooligans Abroad, 1984.

P. Murphy et al. Football on Trial. Spectator Violence and Development in the Football World, 1990, Chap 4.

J. Clarke 'Football and working class fans: tradition and change' in R. Ingham (ed) Football Violence, 1978.