Social Identity as a Source of Strength in Mass Emergencies and Other Crowd Events

Abstract

This article argues that, through the presence and salience of a shared identity, the crowd may be a source of strength to its participants. A shared identity can explain why a crowd that might otherwise respond to an emergency in terms of individualized panic might instead exhibit mutual cooperation and coordination. A review of the literature and anecdotal evidence also find that experiences in the crowd—including trauma and crowd conflict—can actually be a source of personal development. The article traces out the possible emergence of feelings of empowerment in crowd participants through an analysis of a protest march that became a riot. The article goes on to suggest how empowerment might be an enduring outcome of certain kinds of crowd participation. It is argued that such empowerment might have both social consequences and personal health benefits.