2. Emergent Norm Theory?
• Created by Sociologist R.H. Turner.
• Here starts by saying that a crowd has no order, organisation
or specific ‘norms’ governing their behaviour.
• When people conform, they are conforming to a group norm.
• Why then do people conform, if crowds don’t have a norm
governing their behaviour?
4. • When a crowd gathers, for example to a protest, the goal may
be to protest, but as the individuals do not know each other,
there is no norms governing behaviour, and therefore nothing
to conform too….
• Distinctive individuals behave in a specific way that establishes
a group norm.
• There is therefore an assumption of pressure to conform to
the behavior of distinctive individuals.
• The result is an ‘emergent norm’
5. Scenario.
• At a Belfast Flags protest (Jan.
2013), members of the Loyalist
Community gathered to protest at
the decision to remove the union
flag from Belfast City Hall.
• The protest descended into
disorder when individuals began
attached the city hall and
attempted to storm the building.
• Police attempted to keep order and
this led to public rioting against the
police.
6. A Comparative Explanation.
• Explain this disorder using the following theories.
• 1. Le Bon
• 2. Sigmund Freud.
• 3. Research into Conformity.
• 4. Deindividuation.
• 5. Social Identity Theory.
• 6. Emergent Norm Theory.
