This theory was developed by neil smelser and he proposed six determinants responsible for the development of a social movement. Critically important to neil smelser s theory of collective behavior is the idea that people join radical social movements because they experience strain. Department of sociology, college of development studies, covenant university, ota, ogun state. This concept looks at how people gather and under what conditions. The field of collective behavior by ralph turner and lewis killian. Smelsers six preconditions for collective behavior the list below includes information related to the different examples of collective behavior that we studied together in class. Smelsers six preconditions for collective behavior mr. Apr 20, 2005 based on the militiamenwomen studied, smelsers thesis is generally confirmed. The reissue of the book triggered these observations in which i reflect on the fate of old books. Most experienced some form of social stress or strain prior to or during the time that they were in the militia, and most conditions for social movement development as specified by smelser were met and confirmed by the data.
A critical note on conceptions of collective behavior jstor. According to the valueadded theory, there are six necessary factors for collective behavior. During a confrontation in front of the campus administration building, i saw professor smelser sitting in an 2nd floor window ledge observing an interesting example of collective behavior and his theory. Smelser believed that certain conditions or factors must be present before an action of collective behavior takes place. A test of the value added theory of collective behavior j. During a confrontation in front of the campus administration building, i saw professor smelser sitting in an 2nd floor window ledge observing an interesting example of collective behavior. A social movement arises to reassure participants that something is being done to redress.
Before any collective action, people must develop some general belief about the situation. Preparation of incident everyone effected by incident that lead to rioting, why did they feel the continue reading smelsers pre conditions for a riot. Without such structural strain, people would not have any reason to protest, and social movements would not arise. The logic of collective action, an unfortunately underutilized work of classical collective behaviour scholarship. Collective behavior and conflict converging theoretical perspectives. Looking at smelsers theory of collective behavior after almost 50. This research examines smelsers valueadded theory of collective behavior. Smelser free pdf book 1965 excerpt from the authors introduction. Under conditions of stable interaction, many social elements.
This perspective is based on the works of neil smelser. Chapter 21 section b explaining collective behavior. Smelser saw social movements as sideeffects of rapid social change. This disaster exemplifies how a change in the environment, coupled with the.
Episodes of collective behavior tend to be quite spontaneous, resulting from an experience. These six conditions, he believed, helped to give rise to collective behaviour. Publication date 1965 topics social psychology, human behavior publisher. However, collective behavior does not always occur when smelsers factors do hold true. Free download of theory of collective behavior by neil smelser. Social psychologists term such phenomena collective behavior relatively spontaneous and unstructured ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that develop within a group as a result of interaction among participants. Strain what micro incidents lead up to the riot ii. One of the most popular and influential explanations of social movements and other forms of collective behavior is neil smelsers 1963 valueadded theory also called structuralstrain theory. Neil smelser in his book, theory of collective behavior, has tried to build a massive structural theory so that on its basis all types of collective behaviors including social movements could be explained. Smelser saw social movements as sideeffects of rapid social change smelser argued that six things were necessary and sufficient for collective behavior to emerge.
The short circuit is made for members of a movementby means of what smelser calls a generalized belief. A social movement arises to reassure participants that something is being done to redress the underlying source of strain. Smelsers theory of collective behaviour springerlink. One of the most popular and influential explanations of social movements and other forms of collective behavior is neil smelser s 1963 1144 valueadded theory also called structuralstrain theory. There are three major kinds of situations in which these four co. Theory of collective behavior, macmillan free press, new york, 1963. Smelser focused on the structural social conditions that lead up to what his. That is, each condition is a precursor to the next condition and must appear for subsequent conditions to appear. The six conditions are 1 structural conduciveness, 2 structural strain, 3 the development of a. His research was on collective behavior, sociological theory, economic sociology, sociology of education, social change, and comparative methods. A half century has gone by since the publication of neil smelsers classic book on the theory of collective behavior. Finally, i would add to the aforementioned five dimensions the importance of the social boundaries of instances of collective behavior, to link the study of collective behavior.
Smelser argued that six things were necessary and sufficient for collective behavior to emerge, and that social movements evolve through those relevant stages. May 17, 2012 a half century has gone by since the publication of neil smelsers classic book on the theory of collective behavior. Neil smelser, in full neil joseph smelser, born july 22, 1930, kahoka, missouri, u. In theory of collective behavior, the author applies the insights of contemporary sociology in the first work to unify the subject of collective behavior under a single, coherent sociological theory. Describe different forms of collective behavior differentiate between types of crowds. For each, can you tell which of smelser s six preconditions for collective behavior is represented. Smelser wrote that social movements and other collective behavior occur if and only if several conditions are present. Smelser s seminal valueadded perspective is one of the few attempts to bridge the gap between underlying structural conditions and the social psychological processes involved in riots.
Intervening steps are jumped as the actor moves from a highly generalized and abstract componentof actiondirectly to a source of strain. Demonstrate awareness of social movements on a state, national, and global. The reissue of the book triggered these observations in which i reflect on. Smelsers preconditions for a riot collective behavior. Neil smelsers theory of collective behavior 1962 was a landmark in the field.
Value prospects are the goods and conditions of life to which people suppose. Toward an integrated approach for explaining riotous behavior one bene. Many forms of collective behavior fit within this dynamic. Smelser identifies six stages of collective behavior. Social movements and social change introduction to. Publication date 1963 topics collective behavior publisher. Pdf looking at smelsers theory of collective behavior after. This line until recently, most collective behavior research has focused upon psycho logical or socialpsychological approaches and explanations. Evaluation of the accelerating factor in the iranian oil. Among many lifetime achievements, smelser laid the. About 3 years later we had an example of collective behavior at uc berkeley called the free speech movement. For each, can you tell which of smelsers six preconditions for collective behavior is represented. The valueadded theory recommends that for any social movement to emerge, certain determinants are necessary.
Valueadded theory also known as social strain theory is a sociological theory that was first proposed by neil smelser in 1962 based on the assumption that certain conditions are needed for the development of a social movement. In order to answer these questions, this paper will engage in a critical rereading of neil smelsers. That motto i break in order to reveal aptly fits neil smelsers classic theory of collective behavior a book that radically broke with conventional treatments of collective behavior in order to reveal new ways of understanding. Neil smelsers 1962 meticulous categorization of crowd behaviour, called. May 19, 2014 smelser speaks of six basic conditions structural conduciveness. Neil joseph smelser 19302017 was an american sociologist who served as professor of sociology at the university of california, berkeley.
Collective behavior has been a long standing focal point of soci ological interest. Deprivation theory argues that social movements have their foundations among people who feel deprived of. Structural analysis is but one way to explain collective behavior. Situations such as poverty, conflict, discrimination etc. Collective behavior and social movements lardbucket. Neil smelsers 1962 meticulous categorization of crowd behavior, called. Apr 10, 2010 dynamics of episodes of collective behavior. Social movements may incorporate many aspects of the above listed.
Collective behavior theory has its roots in antidemocratic theorists of. Smelser studied under and worked with parsons see parsons. Looking at smelsers theory of collective behavior after. That motto i break in order to reveal aptly fits neil smelser s classic theory of collective behavior a book that radically broke with conventional treatments of collective behavior in order to reveal new ways of understanding. Apr 14, 2015 hese are not smelsers exact rules but he wants one big riot categorized as follows. Numerous episodes labeled psychic epidemics, collective seizures, group outbursts, mass delusions, crazes, have been recorded. Collective behavior, 3rd edition, prentice hall, englewood cliffs, new jersey, 1987. In this paper, we critically examine smelsers significant efforts to organize the field. Smelsers value added theory or strain theory argued that six elements were necessary for a particular kind of collective behaviour to emerge. We stand, for instance, amused by the foibles of the craze, aghast at the cruelties of the. In all civilizations, men have evinced dramatic collective behavior the craze, the riot, the revolution. The theory has also been criticized for being a bit vague. Neil smelser, john lofland, and others have proposed three corresponding. Generalized belief what was the generalized reasoning for rioting iii.
This is why the subject of collective behaviour and social movements is primal in. Module 6 social protests and social movements lecture. Structural conduciveness refers to the broad social conditions that are necessary for an episode of collective behavior to occur. Smelser s six preconditions for collective behavior the list below includes information related to the different examples of collective behavior that we studied together in class. In this regard, recall that one of the essential conditions for collective behavior in smelsers valueadded theory is structural strain, or social problems that cause people to be angry and frustrated. The third theory of collective behavior is the valueadded theory, developed by neil smelser in 1962 smelser 2. Pdf looking at smelsers theory of collective behavior.
Throughout the world, people have thrown themselves into social unrest, riots, manias, fads, panics, lynchings, religious revivals. Valueadded theory is a sociological theory that was first proposed by neil smelser in 1962 based on the assumption that certain conditions are needed for the development of a social movement. In all civilizations, men have thrown themselves into episodes of dramatic behavior, such as the craze, the riot, and the revolution. Elements of collective behavior, social movements smelser a. There are three primary forms of collective behavior.
Structural conduciveness things that make or allow certain behaviors possible e. Lapiere from his general survey of collective behavior even though his major work is entitled collective behavior new york, 1938 on the grounds that lapieres treatment represents a. Ironically, in the politicized decade of the 1960s and beyond smelser was nipped. These cases center around developing countries and regions, covering a variety offailure and success combinations with respect to directed change. Although he did not hold that society was often in a completely harmonious and stable state, he retained the notion of such equilibrium as the baseline from which the emergence of.
Collective behavior and social movements 2012 book archive. Smelsers 1963 model proposes that six conditions are necessary and sufficient to produce any given form of collective behavior. C smelsers preconditions for collective behavior valueadded theory sociologist neil smelser suggested that outbreaks of collective behavior were the results of a stepbystep process. This refers to the structured elements within the society that make a particular form of collective behaviour possible. Collective behavior introduction to sociology lumen learning. Based on the militiamenwomen studied, smelsers thesis is generally confirmed. David knottnerus, university of tampa this research examines smelsers valueadded theory of collective behavior. Each condition adds to the likelihood that collective behavior will occur. Smelser believes in defining collective behavior that collective behavior is beseeched on. Collective behavior is like this as each successive determinant is added, the range of possible final outcomes is narrowed. Sociologist neil smelser who states collective behavior involves a collective redefinition of an unstructured situation smelser 1962. Specifically, smelsers theory of collective behavior emphasizes the.
University of delaware preliminary paper a conceptual. Structural conduciveness the structure of the society must be such. Listed below are several examples of collective behavior. According to smelser, six determinants are necessary for the development of a social movement. That is, in order for collective behavior to happen, certain things had to happen in a certain order. This chapter represents an unfashionable engagement with the work of the collective behaviour theorist neil smelser 1962, 1969.
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