A Sociological Study of Dramatic Collective Behaviors Caused by the Spread of Coronavirus: A Case Study of BushehrCity

Predicting the factors affecting human’s active behaviors following disastrous crises can lead to understanding and preventing potential illogical behaviors. Humanistic behaviors are normally influenced by observations, experiences, and personal interactions, which can potentially change perceptions and intensify the effects of an event. A dramatic collective behavior is identified by structureless, spontaneous, emotional, and unpredictable patterns. Any kinds of instant, unpredicted, and unstable stimulants can motivate people to show a dramatic collective behavior. Previous studies have shown that during the prevalence of a disease, people experience anxiety, loss of appetite, and social isolation, while demonstrating excessive emotional problems and dramatic collective behaviors. Most of the research has focused on anxiety among the patients, but the truth is that during the prevalence of a deadly disease like covid-19, the fear of that disease and death makes healthy people become involved in the disease-based illness as well. Therefore, the feeling of fear and worry, stress and clinical anxiety, intrusive thought and action, and dramatic collective behavior are related to the disease (Alizadefar and Safarinia, 2020, 130-131). During the prevalence of covid-19, people all over the world and Iranian people, especially the citizens of Bushehr, were in touch with a lot of dramatic collective behaviors due to international water borders and free tourism zones, which led to the creation of feelings, such as anxiety, stress, mass hysteria, fear, insanity, rumor, mania, etc. This study aimed to investigate the sociological aspects of dramatic collective behaviors caused by the prevalence of covid-19 in Bushehr City.

This study was done based on a quantitative approach and a descriptive survey. The statistical population included all Bushehr citizens aged above 15 years (197864 people according to the census conducted in 2016), from among whom 384 citizens were selected by using Cochran’s formula. Multi-phase cluster sampling was used to select the samples. The data were gathered by using a researcher-made questionnaire, for which face validity assessment was performed. Finally, the questionnaire was approved by the members and used as the source of collecting the data. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis technique were applied to estimate the validity and find the construct validity, respectively.

The results showed that the experimental average amount of the respondents’ dramatic collective behaviors was 3.48, which was higher than its theoretical average value (3). It could be argued that the respondents had a dramatic collective behavior, which was higher than the expected average value. In the prevalence of this virus in the society, we witnessed emergence of structureless, spontaneous, and mostly emotional patterns of some people and communities, all of which showed the people’s fear and lack of logical actions, which stimulated them to show illogical reactions. The results of the present study revealed that the average value of the 6 factors of dramatic collective behavior in the people of Bushehr was higher than the expected value. During the spread of covid-19, these people tended to show more dramatic collective behaviors and the prevalence of social media usage contributed to the rise of such behaviors. During this time, parties, gatherings, seminars, and even daily conversations and social interactions decreased and this was caused by the fear of being infected with covid-19. The studied people used social media more and the effectiveness of social media rose. This effectiveness was represented in form of different entertainments like paying attention to clothing style and cosmetics. Some people watched the actors or other influencers and wanted to feel a distinct emotional experience by doing this behavior. As an emotional atmosphere in the society can lead to the development of dramatic collective behavior and change it from its normal condition, it is suggested that the media reflect realities comprehensively so that the people are not involved in rumors and dramatic collective behaviors.