A critique of the crowd psychological heritage in early sociology, classic phenomenology and recent social psychology.

The paper critically reconstructs the crowd psychological heritage in phenomenological and social science emotion research. It shows how the founding figures of phenomenology and sociology uncritically adopted Le Bon's crowd psychological imagery as well as what I suggest calling the disease model of emotion transfer. Against this background, it can be examined how Le Bon's understanding of emotional contagion as an automatic, involuntary, and uncontrollable mechanism has remained a dominant force in emotion research until today. However, a closer look at phenomenological descriptions and empirical investigations of how emotion's spread shows that there is little evidence supporting Le Bon's crowd psychological framework. Thus, I suggest that the disease model should be dismissed in favor of more plausible approaches to interpersonal emotion dynamics.

Contemporary understanding of riots: Classical crowd psychology, ideology and the social identity approach.

This article explores the origins and ideology of classical crowd psychology, a body of theory reflected in contemporary popularised understandings such as of the 2011 English 'riots'. This article argues that during the nineteenth century, the crowd came to symbolise a fear of 'mass society' and that 'classical' crowd psychology was a product of these fears. Classical crowd psychology pathologised, reified and decontextualised the crowd, offering the ruling elites a perceived opportunity to control it. We contend that classical theory misrepresents crowd psychology and survives in contemporary understanding because it is ideological. We conclude by discussing how classical theory has been supplanted in academic contexts by an identity-based crowd psychology that restores the meaning to crowd action, replaces it in its social context and in so doing transforms theoretical understanding of 'riots' and the nature of the self.

Futebol, massa e poder: reflexões sobre a "teoria do contágio" / Football, crowd and power: reflexions on the "contagion theory" / Fútbol, masa y poder: reflexiones acerca de la "teoría del contagio" / Football, masse et pouvoir: réflexions sur la « theorie de la contagion ¼

Neste artigo, discutimos os limites da teoria de Le Bon sobre o comportamento das multidões como ferramenta de análise científica da violência no futebol. Entre outras coisas, indicamos que tal violência pressupõe certa racionalidade, e não a falta dela. Também discutimos alguns dos possíveis efeitos políticosideológicos da referida teoria, tais como a denegação da culpa dos torcedores e agentes de segurança envolvidos em ações violentas, a negação da voz da massa torcedora e a legitimação da repressão policial e do controle social. Além disso, defendemos a pertinência de assumirmos outro olhar sobre o comportamento da massa, que considere seus aspectos positivos, como a capacidade de produzir estratégias de resistência ao chamado "futebol moderno".

In this article, we discussed the limits of Le Bon's theory of crowd behavior as scientific analysis tool of violence in football. Among other things, we indicated that such violence presupposes certain rationality, not the lack of it. We also discussed some of the possible political and ideological effects of that theory, such as the denial of guilt of the supporters and security officers involved in violent actions, the denial of the voice of the mass of supporters and the legitimacy of police repression and social control. Besides, we defended the relevance of assume a different crowd behavior perspective that consider its positive aspects, such as the ability to produce strategies of resistance to the so-called "modern football".

En este artículo, analizamos los límites de la teoría del comportamiento de las masas de Le Bon como herramienta de análisis científico de la violencia en el fútbol. Entre otras cosas, indicamos que este tipo de violencia presupone una cierta racionalidad, no la falta de ella. También discutimos algunos de los posibles efectos políticos e ideológicos de esa teoría, como la negación de la culpa de los hinchas y de los agentes de seguridad involucrados en acciones violentas, la negación de la voz de la hinchada y la legitimación de la represión policial y del control social. Además, defendemos la importancia de asumir otra perspectiva del comportamiento de las masas, que considere sus aspectos positivos, como la capacidad de producir estrategias de resistencia al denominado "fútbol moderno".

Dans cet article, nous discutons les limites de la théorie de Le Bon sur le comportement des foules comme outil d'analyse scientifique de la violence dans le football. Entre autres choses, nous indiquons que cette violence présuppose une certaine rationalité, et pas son absence. Nous avons également discuté quelques fins politiques et idéologiques possibles de cette théorie, comme le refus de la culpabilité des fans et du personnel de sécurité impliqués dans des actions violentes, le déni de voix de la masse de fans, et la légitimité de la répression policière et du contrôle social. D'ailleurs, nous défendons la pertinence de prendre un autre regard sur le comportement de masse, qui considère ses aspects positifs, comme la capacité de produire des stratégies de résistance à la soi-disant « football moderne ¼.