ABSTRACT
It is an intention of this chapter to provide an introduction to key theories and concepts in early studies of collective behaviour and social movements. The chapter begins by examining the early social psychological theories of crowd behaviour and mass psychosis of Le Bon and Freud. According to both perspectives, collective behaviour is a threat to the normal social order, although updated psychological research into crowd action suggests otherwise. The case of the Nuremburg rallies is used to illustrate the role of propaganda in collective behaviour. The chapter looks at the sociology of collective behaviour, much of which saw collective behaviour in a positive light. It examines the symbolic interactionist approach of Herbert Blumer, the emergent norm theory of Turner and Killian, and Neil Smelser’s structuralfunctionalist account and value-added model.
