Crowd and Collective Behaviour » Culture and Collective Behaviour

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The concept of culture and its influence on collective behaviour
How cultural norms and values shape group actions
Cross-cultural differences in collective behaviour
Cultural factors in crowd psychology
Real-world examples of culture's impact on collective behaviour

Introduction to Culture and Collective Behaviour

Have you ever wondered why people from different countries might react differently when they're in a crowd? Or why some cultures seem more likely to join protests while others don't? The answer lies in understanding how culture shapes collective behaviour!

Key Definitions:

Culture: The shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours and artefacts that members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another.
Collective behaviour: How people behave when they are part of a group or crowd.
Cultural norms: The unwritten rules that guide behaviour in groups and societies.
Individualism: A cultural value that emphasises the importance of individual goals and independence.
Collectivism: A cultural value that emphasises the importance of group goals and interdependence.

🌎 Individualistic vs Collectivistic Cultures

One of the biggest ways culture affects how people behave in groups is whether the culture values individualism or collectivism:

Individualistic cultures (like the UK, USA) value personal goals, independence and standing out from the crowd.
Collectivistic cultures (like Japan, China) value group harmony, interdependence and fitting in with others.

These differences can dramatically affect how people behave in crowds and groups!

👥 How Culture Shapes Crowd Behaviour

Culture influences crowd behaviour in several key ways:

What triggers emotional responses in crowds
How closely people stand together (personal space)
Whether people follow authority figures
How quickly people conform to group actions
The likelihood of helping strangers in emergencies

Cultural Dimensions and Collective Behaviour

Psychologist Geert Hofstede identified several dimensions of culture that help explain differences in collective behaviour around the world.

📈 Power Distance

How much inequality people accept between those in power and others.

High power distance cultures (Malaysia, Philippines) show more respect for authority figures in crowds.

Low power distance cultures (UK, Denmark) may be more likely to question leaders during collective action.

😱 Uncertainty Avoidance

How comfortable people feel with uncertainty and ambiguity.

High uncertainty avoidance cultures (Japan, Greece) prefer clear rules in group situations.

Low uncertainty avoidance cultures (UK, Jamaica) may be more comfortable with spontaneous collective action.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Masculinity vs Femininity

Whether a society values competition and achievement or caring for others.

Masculine cultures (Japan, Italy) may show more competitive collective behaviours.

Feminine cultures (Sweden, Norway) often display more cooperative group actions.

Cultural Influences on Specific Types of Collective Behaviour

Protests and Social Movements

Different cultures have different traditions of protest and activism. For example:

In France, street protests are a common and accepted form of political expression
In Japan, protests tend to be more orderly and follow strict protocols
In the UK, there's a tradition of peaceful protest, though this varies by issue

These differences reflect deeper cultural values about authority, social change and appropriate ways to express dissent.

Case Study Focus: The Arab Spring

The Arab Spring protests that began in 2010 show how cultural factors shape collective behaviour. Despite sharing similar cultural backgrounds, different Arab countries saw vastly different protest behaviours:

In Tunisia, protests were relatively peaceful and led to democratic reforms
In Egypt, massive gatherings in Tahrir Square became a symbol of collective action
In Libya and Syria, cultural and tribal divisions led to more fragmented protest movements

These differences show that even within broadly similar cultural regions, local cultural factors significantly influence how collective behaviour unfolds.

Crowds and Emergencies

How people respond to emergencies in crowds varies significantly across cultures:

🚒 Cultural Differences in Emergency Response

Japanese culture: Known for orderly evacuations during earthquakes and tsunamis. Children practice drills from an early age and the cultural value of group harmony helps maintain order.

UK culture: Often characterised by the "keep calm and carry on" mentality. Studies show British crowds tend to form orderly queues even in emergencies.

US culture: More individualistic responses sometimes occur, though this varies greatly by region and situation.

Social Media and Cultural Collective Behaviour

Social media has created new forms of collective behaviour that are influenced by culture:

Online activism: Different cultures use social media platforms in different ways for collective action
Cultural trends: Memes, challenges and viral content spread differently across cultures
Digital crowds: Online gatherings (like in gaming or social platforms) show cultural patterns

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, different cultures showed different collective behaviours online:

In South Korea, people used apps to track virus hotspots collectively
In Italy, musical balcony performances created a sense of community
In the UK, the Thursday "Clap for Carers" became a nationwide ritual

Research Spotlight: Cultural Conformity

Psychologist Rod Bond conducted research comparing conformity levels across cultures. He found that collectivistic cultures tend to show higher levels of conformity in group settings than individualistic cultures.

This helps explain why crowd behaviour can look so different across countries. In collectivistic cultures like Japan, crowds often move in more coordinated ways, while in individualistic cultures like the UK, there's often more variation in individual behaviour even within a crowd.

Cultural Factors in Crowd Psychology

Deindividuation Across Cultures

Deindividuation (losing your sense of individual identity in a crowd) happens differently across cultures:

In individualistic cultures, deindividuation can feel more dramatic and may lead to more extreme behaviour changes
In collectivistic cultures, group identity is already stronger, so the shift may be less noticeable

This helps explain why crowd behaviour can vary so much between countries, even in similar situations like sports events or festivals.

Practical Applications

Understanding cultural influences on collective behaviour has important real-world applications:

👮 Crowd Management

Event planners and police need to consider cultural factors when managing crowds. What works in London might not work in Tokyo!

🏫 Education

Schools can better manage group behaviour by understanding the cultural backgrounds of their students.

🛠 Workplace Design

Offices and public spaces can be designed to accommodate cultural preferences for personal space and group interaction.

Summary: Culture and Collective Behaviour

Culture profoundly shapes how people behave in groups and crowds. From the personal space we prefer to how likely we are to help strangers, our cultural background influences our collective actions in countless ways.

Key points to remember:

Individualistic and collectivistic cultural values strongly influence group behaviour
Cultural dimensions like power distance and uncertainty avoidance affect how people respond in crowds
Different cultures have different traditions of protest and public gathering
Emergency responses in crowds show clear cultural patterns
Social media has created new forms of collective behaviour that still show cultural differences

Understanding these cultural factors helps us make sense of why crowds behave differently around the world and can help us navigate group situations more effectively.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!