title: Life experience and the value-free foundations of Blumer's collective behavior theory.
abstract: Herbert Blumer stated throughout his long career that his ideas regarding collective behavior originated with his introduction to pragmatist philosophy under the auspices of G. H. Mead at the University of Chicago. Blumer's biography, however, presents a different picture. Firsthand experiences with mob behavior, collective outrage, and the fallout associated with Blumer's public utterances early in his career may have had significant impact on the eventual corpus of collective behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminal Justice, New Mexico State University, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keys
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Maratea
mesh_terms: D001527:Behaviorism / Q000266:history*; D006126:Group Processes; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011593:Psychology, Social / Q000266:history*; D012961:Sociology / Q000266:history*