How Does Collective Behavior Differ from the Other Social Patterns

question 83

Essay

How does collective behavior differ from the other social patterns of interest to sociologists? What are the difficulties in studying collective behavior? What do you see as the special benefits of doing so?

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Definitions:

Classical Economists

A group of 18th- and 19th-century economists who believed that economic downturns corrected themselves through natural market forces; thus, they believed the economy was self-correcting and needed no government intervention.

John Maynard Keynes

An influential British economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments.

Expansionary Gap

A situation where actual output in an economy exceeds the potential output, leading to inflationary pressures due to high demand.

Government Spending

The total amount of money that a government allocates and uses on public services and infrastructure.