This PPT is a part of a course Psycho-social foundation of Human Development

1. Mass Phenomenon & Social Pathology
By : Jyoti Pali, Research Scholar, Social Work,
CU Rajasthan

5. Mass Phenomena
The “mass phenomena” is range of
behavior as that denoted by two
frequently used similar expressions:
“collective behavior” and “mass
behavior.”
• five major subtypes of mass
phenomena:
(1) Rumor (2) panic, (3) mob, (4)
craze, and
(5) Social movement.

6. Rumor
• In the social sciences, a rumor
involves some kind of a statement
whose reliability is not quickly or
ever confirmed.
• Rumors are also often discussed
with regard to "misinformation" and
"disinformation" (the former often
seen as simply false and the latter
seen as deliberately false.
• Knapp found that negative rumors
are more likely to be disseminated
than positive rumors.

7. William stern explains:
• Rumor involves a "chain of
subjects" who passed a story
from "mouth to ear" without the
right to repeat or explain it.
• He found that the story was
shortened and changed by the
time it reached the end of the

8. "A Psychology of Rumor" was published
by Robert H. Knapp in 1944.
Knapp identified three basic characteristics
that apply to rumor:
• they're transmitted by word of mouth
• they provide "information" about a "person,
happening, or condition"; and
• they express and entertain "the emotional
needs of the community."

9. Panic
• Panic is a sudden sensation
of fear, which is so strong as
to dominate or
prevent reason and logical
thinking, replacing it with
overwhelming feelings
of anxiety and
worry agitation consistent
with an fight-or-
flight reaction.

10. Moral Panic
• A moral panic is a feeling of fear spread among
a large number of people that some evil
threatens the well-being of society.
• A Dictionary of Sociology defines a moral panic
as "the process of arousing social concern over
an issue – usually the work of moral
entrepreneurs and the mass media“
• Stanley Cohen states that moral panic
happens when "a condition, episode, person or
group of persons emerges to become defined
as a threat to societal values and interests."

11. five key stages in the construction of a
moral panic:
• Someone, something or a group are
defined as a threat to social norms or
community interests
• The threat is then depicted in a simple and
recognizable symbol/form by the media
• The portrayal of this symbol provokes
public concern
• There is a response from authorities and
policy makers
• The moral panic over the issue results in

13. Social movement
• A social movement is a large group of
people who are organized to promote or
resist some social change.
• A social movement is typically based upon
two factors - first, whom the movement is
trying to change, and second, how much
change a movement is advocating.
• Social movements can occur at the
individual level or at the societal level, and
they can advocate for either minor or radical

14. The following features of the social
movement may be marked out:
(i) It is an effort by a group;
(ii) Its aim is to bring or resist a change in
society
(iii) It may be organized or unorganized
(iv) It may be peaceful or violent
(v) Its life is not certain. It may continue for
a long period or
it may die out soon

15. Types Of Social movement
In 1966, cultural anthropologist David F.
Aberle identified four kinds of social
movements:
• Alternative,
• Redemptive,
• Reformative,
• Revolutionary

16. Alternative Social Movements
Alternative movements are
do-it-yourself efforts that
seek to change some
aspects of an individual's
behavior.
Example: public
awareness campaign
aimed directly at stopping
the dangerous practice of
phone call or texting while

17. Redemptive social movement
A Redemptive social
movement is one that
seeks total personal
transformation and is
typically religious in
nature.
The spread of Christianity
is a prime example of a
redemptive social
movement.

18. Reformative social movement
Reformative
social
movement is a
social
movement that
seeks to change
only some
specific aspects
of how society
functions.

19. Revolutionary Movements
The revolutionary
movement seeks to
overthrow the existing
social system and replace it
with a greatly different one.
The reform movement
wants to correct some
imperfections in the existing
social system but a
revolutionary movement
wants to root out the system
itself.

20. Thank You!