Social contagion: Global and local perspectives
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
Rukhsana Shaheen
FOR long, social scientists have been struck by the tendency of certain behaviours, as opposed to diseases, to spread through populations as if they were contagious. In some instances, mere exposure to a behaviour is sufficient for replication and spread of that behaviour. This phenomenon is the social contagion, which is still poorly understood. Social contagion may be risky or favourable.
The term contagion (ken_tâ_jen) originates from the Latin word contagion, which means 'and from touch'. Contagion refers to transmission through touch or contact. Over the last fifty years, a considerable body of empirical evidence have confirmed and demonstrated the existence and voracity of social contagion in several areas of social life. Human behaviour, in both local and dispersed collectivities, appears to tend towards homogeneity even when there is no compulsion or logical explanation. Empirical studies demonstrating contagion have focused on mood, anxiety, fear, appreciation, stress, and enjoyment.
Within risky social contagion research, a number of types of behaviour have been found to spread by contagion. Firstly, the spread of medical symptoms and signs of conditions for which there is no medical basis. Such contagions are known hysterical contagions, or mass hysteria. A second class of behaviour that sometimes appears to spread through populations by contagion is rule violation. Examples include teenage smoking, speeding, substance abuse, delinquency, youth sex and criminality.
A third type of contagious behaviour is deliberate self-harm, of which suicide is an example. A fourth social contagion is the financial contagion where the infectious behaviour of market dealers results in panics, buying frenzies, and crashes that sweep across both domestic and international exchanges. A fifth type of behavioural contagion is that of consumer behaviour-fashions and fads. A sixth type of contagion is aggressive behaviour which has been shown to spread through both crowds and dispersed collectivities.
Recorded evidence point that mass hysteria has been observed time to time from fifth century onwards in different parts of the world. In recent times, frequent episodes of such hysteria have been observed in Bangladesh too. Human nature tends to violation of rule, which can be traced back to primates. This violation of rule has penetrated and formed a meshwork in every sphere of activity in Bangladesh. The behaviour of deliberate self-harm can also be traced back in time, irrespective of state of development of a country.
Deliberate self-harm in the form of suicide by hanging, poisoning, shooting, crashing under wheels…are not uncommon in Bangladesh. In recent years, the stock exchange has witnessed sudden unexplained ups and downs, and rapid market price hike of essentials in Bangladesh, which are examples of financial contagion. Globally too, the price of fuel, stock exchange, and currency conversion rates have gone through rapid changes. Under the influence of global electronic communication, consumer behaviour has undergone rapid changes involving personal grooming to cultural diffusion, where Bangladesh does not lag behind. Minor incidences appear to spark off aggressive behaviour all over the world, for example, termination of terrorist activities, protest against a regime, failure of a favourite team (football, cricket)….
Social contagions that are favourable to mankind probably should be fostered while those that are risky in any way should be discouraged. In these days of globalisation, concerted efforts by the social scientists need to be taken to control the harmful social contagion both globally and locally.
FOR long, social scientists have been struck by the tendency of certain behaviours, as opposed to diseases, to spread through populations as if they were contagious. In some instances, mere exposure to a behaviour is sufficient for replication and spread of that behaviour. This phenomenon is the social contagion, which is still poorly understood. Social contagion may be risky or favourable.
The term contagion (ken_tâ_jen) originates from the Latin word contagion, which means 'and from touch'. Contagion refers to transmission through touch or contact. Over the last fifty years, a considerable body of empirical evidence have confirmed and demonstrated the existence and voracity of social contagion in several areas of social life. Human behaviour, in both local and dispersed collectivities, appears to tend towards homogeneity even when there is no compulsion or logical explanation. Empirical studies demonstrating contagion have focused on mood, anxiety, fear, appreciation, stress, and enjoyment.
Within risky social contagion research, a number of types of behaviour have been found to spread by contagion. Firstly, the spread of medical symptoms and signs of conditions for which there is no medical basis. Such contagions are known hysterical contagions, or mass hysteria. A second class of behaviour that sometimes appears to spread through populations by contagion is rule violation. Examples include teenage smoking, speeding, substance abuse, delinquency, youth sex and criminality.
A third type of contagious behaviour is deliberate self-harm, of which suicide is an example. A fourth social contagion is the financial contagion where the infectious behaviour of market dealers results in panics, buying frenzies, and crashes that sweep across both domestic and international exchanges. A fifth type of behavioural contagion is that of consumer behaviour-fashions and fads. A sixth type of contagion is aggressive behaviour which has been shown to spread through both crowds and dispersed collectivities.
Recorded evidence point that mass hysteria has been observed time to time from fifth century onwards in different parts of the world. In recent times, frequent episodes of such hysteria have been observed in Bangladesh too. Human nature tends to violation of rule, which can be traced back to primates. This violation of rule has penetrated and formed a meshwork in every sphere of activity in Bangladesh. The behaviour of deliberate self-harm can also be traced back in time, irrespective of state of development of a country.
Deliberate self-harm in the form of suicide by hanging, poisoning, shooting, crashing under wheels…are not uncommon in Bangladesh. In recent years, the stock exchange has witnessed sudden unexplained ups and downs, and rapid market price hike of essentials in Bangladesh, which are examples of financial contagion. Globally too, the price of fuel, stock exchange, and currency conversion rates have gone through rapid changes. Under the influence of global electronic communication, consumer behaviour has undergone rapid changes involving personal grooming to cultural diffusion, where Bangladesh does not lag behind. Minor incidences appear to spark off aggressive behaviour all over the world, for example, termination of terrorist activities, protest against a regime, failure of a favourite team (football, cricket)….
Social contagions that are favourable to mankind probably should be fostered while those that are risky in any way should be discouraged. In these days of globalisation, concerted efforts by the social scientists need to be taken to control the harmful social contagion both globally and locally.