Thinking Allowed
Crowds
Feb 25, 2025
Dan Hancox, author of "Multitudes, How Crowds Made the Modern World," dives into how crowds shape society from Notting Hill carnival-goers to raves. He discusses the dual nature of crowds, both as chaotic forces and powerful collectives. Lisa Mueller, a political scientist, shares insights from her research on protest dynamics, revealing that cohesiveness in crowds leads to greater success. Analyzing British protests, she emphasizes the importance of unified goals in achieving meaningful change.
27:58
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Quick takeaways
- Crowds play a dual role in society, encompassing both physical assemblies like protests and psychological connections such as social media fandoms.
- Cohesion within crowd demands significantly influences protest outcomes, with unified messages proving more effective than fragmented ones.
Deep dives
The Nature and Impact of Crowds
The concept of a crowd encompasses both physical and psychological elements, illustrating how gatherings can function beyond mere numbers. Physical crowds gather in specific spaces, while psychological crowds consist of individuals who share common interests or identities, like fandoms on social media. The different dynamics of these crowds frame how they interact with each other and the surrounding environment. During the pandemic, the absence of crowds led to a profound realization about the importance of community, highlighting how both meaningful connections and collective experiences, even with strangers, enhance social fulfillment.
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