Information The mass media is perhaps responsible for the cultivation of the phenomenon of crowd violence. As Hagger & Chatzisarantis (2005, pg.211) explain, the individual who gets pulled into a crowd has probably observed the prominence with which crowd voice has been covered in the media, and attached some meaning to it. Therefore, crowd violence becomes portrayed in the media as a popular culture, and serves to vindicate the sociological theories of emergent norms and social learning. More broadly, information, as Fruin (2002) states, also relates to the messages passed in events or occasions. Such message can have the effect of influencing the perception of the crowd negatively.
Time
Time is a critical determinant of crowd violence. …show more content…
This is more prevalent as it pertains to politics and political nuances. Matters that touch on the restriction of personal privileges may trigger the rioting of crowds with a common purpose. An example is the current state of anarchy in the Middle East, with specific reference to Israel-Gaza relations and the recently concluded Arab Spring. In both scenarios, the violence that has been witnessed arises from political affiliations and interprets. However, political crowds are not entirely to blame for violence. The use of police force on the part of the leader’s results in the victimization of the crowd, which then resorts to violent behavior so as to make their voices heard. It is imperative to note that some cultures are more prone to violence than others. Sieck, Smith, Grome, Veinott & Mueller (2011) explain that the collective American culture is less prone to violence than the collective Middle-Eastern culture. As Sieck et al. (2011) continue to state, the key distinction between the American and Middle Easter culture is the value of honor. Honor becomes heavily intertwined with the social identity of an individual, such that he or she is increasingly forced to perform in a certain manner within the social context (Sieck et al. 2011). In a crowd scenario, the element of honor, therefore, serves to heighten the need by the individual to be seen to be doing what is at the time …show more content…
On the contrary, crowds themselves are usually peaceful in nature and given to noble causes. However, the dynamics of the crowd is what causes violence to occur. These dynamics can either be classified by age, race, culture, political affiliations, space, etc. There are also several sociological, psychological and biological theories that explain the phenomenon of crowd violence. The most popular are the contagion, convergence and social identify theories each of which seeks to elaborate on how individuals relate to the crowd, and how they ultimately influence the emotions personalities, attitudes and overall behavior of the crowd. It is imperative for authorities to adequately comprehend the role they play in fueling or propagating crowd violence. Research affords that the use of force merely increasing the agitation and resolve of the crowd to engage in violent behavior. Therefore, conception the dynamics of crowds provides a key understanding on how to prevent and control crowd
Time
Time is a critical determinant of crowd violence. …show more content…
This is more prevalent as it pertains to politics and political nuances. Matters that touch on the restriction of personal privileges may trigger the rioting of crowds with a common purpose. An example is the current state of anarchy in the Middle East, with specific reference to Israel-Gaza relations and the recently concluded Arab Spring. In both scenarios, the violence that has been witnessed arises from political affiliations and interprets. However, political crowds are not entirely to blame for violence. The use of police force on the part of the leader’s results in the victimization of the crowd, which then resorts to violent behavior so as to make their voices heard. It is imperative to note that some cultures are more prone to violence than others. Sieck, Smith, Grome, Veinott & Mueller (2011) explain that the collective American culture is less prone to violence than the collective Middle-Eastern culture. As Sieck et al. (2011) continue to state, the key distinction between the American and Middle Easter culture is the value of honor. Honor becomes heavily intertwined with the social identity of an individual, such that he or she is increasingly forced to perform in a certain manner within the social context (Sieck et al. 2011). In a crowd scenario, the element of honor, therefore, serves to heighten the need by the individual to be seen to be doing what is at the time …show more content…
On the contrary, crowds themselves are usually peaceful in nature and given to noble causes. However, the dynamics of the crowd is what causes violence to occur. These dynamics can either be classified by age, race, culture, political affiliations, space, etc. There are also several sociological, psychological and biological theories that explain the phenomenon of crowd violence. The most popular are the contagion, convergence and social identify theories each of which seeks to elaborate on how individuals relate to the crowd, and how they ultimately influence the emotions personalities, attitudes and overall behavior of the crowd. It is imperative for authorities to adequately comprehend the role they play in fueling or propagating crowd violence. Research affords that the use of force merely increasing the agitation and resolve of the crowd to engage in violent behavior. Therefore, conception the dynamics of crowds provides a key understanding on how to prevent and control crowd