What Is Emergent Norm Theory?

How it works to affect collective behavior using four different forms

Fans with their hands in the air
Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

Emergent norm theory is a theory used to explain collective behavior. Turner and Killian argue that the norms that ultimately govern a situation may not be initially apparent to the participants. Instead, norms emerge through a process of social interaction in which people look to others for cues and signs indicating various possibilities of what they might expect. Emergent norm theory explains that collective behavior has a long history of turning violent, such as in the cases of mobs and riots. However, collective behavior also applies to fads that can cause some good. The ALS ice bucket challenge is an example of collective behavior that raised money towards medical research. 

The Four Forms of Behavior

Researchers think that emergent norm theory occurs in four forms. While sociologists classify the forms differently, the most common forms are crowd, public, mass, and social movements. 

Crowd

While there is debate over most of the forms, crowds are the only form all sociologists agree on. It is believed that in effect, people revert to more animalistic tendencies, and it is speculated that crowds cause people to lose some rational thinking ability. Some psychologist thing crowds have three base emotions, fear, joy and anger. The latter is where violent outbursts most commonly come from. 

Public

The difference between a crowd and the public is that the public has gathered on a single issue. Once a decision is reached on the issue, the public usually disperses. 

Mass

The mass refers to the media created by groups to reach others. All mass media would fall under this category

Social Movements

A social movement is a movement to change some aspect of society. Because so much goes into the study of social movements they are often considered their own category of study. 

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Crossman, Ashley. "What Is Emergent Norm Theory?" ThoughtCo, Sep. 10, 2021, thoughtco.com/emergent-norm-theory-3026305. Crossman, Ashley. (2021, September 10). What Is Emergent Norm Theory? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/emergent-norm-theory-3026305 Crossman, Ashley. "What Is Emergent Norm Theory?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/emergent-norm-theory-3026305 (accessed March 19, 2024).