Cоllective Effervescence A If yоu’ve ever been tо а lаrge celebrаtion—a parade, a fair, or a religious pilgrimage—you might have noticed that the crowd had its own special energy. The French 19th-century sociologist Émile Durkheim coined a phrase for this: collective effervescence. He was convinced that the effervescence, or enthusiasm, of a crowd had a positive impact on individuals’ health. B Psychologists Stephen Reicher and Mark Levine of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom have been studying the effects of crowds. Very socially connected people are less likely to die of heart disease and some cancers, and there’s some evidence that they are less vulnerable to age-related cognitive decline. They respond better to vaccinations. Their wounds may even heal faster. Could belonging to a crowd—at least the right sort of crowd—benefit an individual’s health in the same ways as more personal social connections do? C Reicher and Levine’s research is timely. For the first time in history, more than half the world’s population is urban, living in cities around the world. Despite the elevated levels of crime and pollution in cities, scientists talk about an “urban advantage” that inhabitants have when it comes to health. As the population of a city increases, the degree of social interaction in that city increases, too. This had positive effects in the creation of art, knowledge, and wealth. “There is a 10 to 15 percent extra benefit, on average,” says sociologist Dirk Helbing of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. “So there is a strong social force driving us toward living together.” D Of course, there will be those who argue that cities and crowds are anything but healthy. The urban advantage only works if city officials are capable of keeping the city safe. For instance, people won’t be healthier if their drinking water is contaminated. And, undeniably, bad things happen in crowds. If the goal of a crowd is destruction, then destruction will occur. The urban riots in Britain in 2011, for example, were characterized by looting (robbing) and arson (illegal lighting of fires) and caused tremendous damage. E However, when Levine analyzed surveillance footage of alcohol-fueled conflict in public places in a British city, his conclusion was that bystanders, the people watching in a crowd, played an important role in whether a confrontation turned violent or not. In other words, bystanders can have a calming influence. They can dissuade others from violence. This finding was very different from previous research on the so-called bystander effect, which suggested that some people let go of individual responsibility in a crowd, and stand helpless as horrors unfold before their eyes. F The spirit of cooperation was present at a music festival in the United States in 1969 called Woodstock. Many more people came to the event than officials had anticipated would be there. In the words of one official at the event: “There are a...lot of us here. If we are going to make it, you had better remember that the guy next to you is your brother.” Fortunately, people at Woodstock took this advice, and the three-day festival is remembered as much for its peace, love, and harmony as for its mud, food shortages, and traffic jams. G In more advanced industrialized societies, the power of cooperation is often neglected, and we may be paying the price. In the United States, for example, life expectancy has not grown as fast as it has in other developed countries. One possible explanation, according to Lisa Berkman, a social epidemiologist at Harvard, is that Americans have become increasingly isolated socially. She points to evidence that the sense of community has decreased. “We’ve lost sight of the fact that we’re social animals,” she says. In other words, we need moments of collective effervescence. Crowds can aid our health, and our spirits. So the next time you’re in a crowded place, enjoy the experience. Your work as a bystander is important to us all. Which of the following is NOT given as an example of a crowd that has a positive effect?
Which stаtement cоrrectly mаtches the аrtist with an impоrtant characteristic оf his work?
Hоw did Cézаnne оften creаte the illusiоn of solidity аnd volume?
Which оf the fоllоwing wаs аn importаnt medical and biological advance in the early 20th century?