It’s Not Only Bees that Swarm
Have you ever wondered why groups do things that individuals would never do?
As a people watcher they dynamics of groups fascinate me - but then that shouldn’t surprise me because the dynamics of individuals sometimes bewilder me (and you heard that from a marketer :) )
If groups interest you then you may find a paper by Dr Toni Makkai, Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology of great interest.
The paper describes different kinds of group formations:
* raves and flash mobs, which are for fun and generally do not involve violence
* youth gangs, which are implicated in violence almost by definition
* riots, their formation and the break out of violence seem to be spontaneous but may be triggered by a specific event and are purposeful
* mobs, appear similar to riots but violence occurs without any purpose or intent, possibly triggered by excessive alcohol consumption
* gatecrashers, which may become violent if the crowd dynamics spark it.
Although the paper stresses the need to consider different forms of swarming, there are commonalities identified across events and groups:
* the use of new communication technologies such as mobile phones
* access to motor vehicles
* an emphasis on excitement, thrill-seeking and taking collective control over particular public areas
* defiance and resistance in relation to authority figures such as the police
* the potential role of the media in exacerbating the occurrence of violent behaviour by publicising its possibility before the event occurs.
You can download the paper for free right here
