critical mass theory

Chain Reaction: Critical Theory Needs Critical Mass—Contradiction, Crisis and the Value-Form, Mike Neary By SERRC on September 16, 2019 • ( 0). Collective action usually depends on a "critical mass" that behaves differently from typical group members. Critical mass theory Drude Dahlerup first conceptualised critical mass in a feminist theory context in her 1988 article, From a Small to a Large Minority: Women in Scandinavian Politics. Krystian Szadkowski and Jakub Krzeski have written a significant paper, In, Against and Beyond: A … Some come through studying social and political theory in the academy. Print. Mass media and the mass culture they promote have become a focus for critical theory. Between 2003-2004 Facebook was exclusive to universities such as Harvard, Yale and 34 other schools. Logic of collective action and common good. Number of times cited according to CrossRef: What makes a big demonstration? The point at which critical mass is achieved is sometimes referred to as a threshold within the threshold model of statistical modeling. Abstract. We show that the critical mass plays very different roles in pro- ducing different kinds of collective action. [25] The principle behind the strategy is that at each time Facebook enlarged the size of the community, the saturation never drops below the critical mass, reaching the desired diffusion effect discussed in Rogers, Diffusion of innovations. For many people, this process is driven by the fear of rejection. They do not want to stand out, initially by adopting and, after critical mass is achieved, by not adopting. Certain theories, such as Mancur Olson's Logic of Collective Action[10] or Garrett Hardin's Tragedy of the Commons,[11] work to help us understand why humans do or adopt certain things which are beneficial to them, or, more importantly, why they do not. It can also be driven by financial motives, such as greed in a rising house market. Perhaps the most pernicious result, Gonzalez argued, is the dissemination of critical race theory in K-12 schools. Reaching a sustainable population is dependent on the collective use of the technology rather than the individual’s use. Critical Theory has a narrow and a broad meaning in philosophy and in the history of the social sciences. Sometimes the critical mass provides some level of the good for others who do nothing, while at other times the critical mass pays the start-up costs and induces widespread collective action. As analogy or metaphor the term has diffused into popular culture and social science and is widely used to refer to any context in which things change after a certain number of people get together or enter a setting. This theory argues that when a committed minority reaches a critical group size—commonly referred to as a “critical mass”—the social system crosses a tipping point. [18] Others argue that we should look more closely at parliamentary and electoral systems instead of critical mass. I f it seems like the structures that enable sexism are exploding, that’s because they scientifically are, according to the theory of critical mass. Much of this reasoning has to do with individual interests trumping that which is best for the collective whole, which may not be obvious at the time. If the term critical mass sounds like it came straight out of a science fiction novel, you’d be right. Another is social stigma, or the possibility of public advocacy due to such a factor. Social movement activists and scholars often use “critical mass” in a loose metaphorical way to refer to an initial group of protesters or actors that is big enough to accomplish social change. Schelling, Thomas C. "On the Ecology of Micromotives," The Public Interest, No. Critical and Traditional Theory (Horkheimer) Dialectic of the Enlightenment (Adorno and Horkheimer) Knowledge and Human Interests (Habermas) The Structural … Critical Theories of Mass Media is a key text for students of cultural studies, communications and media studies, and sociology. Humans are more likely to follow the masses and feel more comfortable taking a risk after the feedback when watching others try. A sufficient participation, in number of persons (or adopters of an innovation in a social system), that triggs a new behaviour; or where the rate of adoption becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth. Pelosi is one such critical player. This article will examine 1)the definition of critical mass, 2) how to achieve critical mass, 3) signs that your company may be ready for critical mass, 4) some important components of critical mass 5) business models where critical mass is vital and 6) critical mass in social media websites. "Collective Action" is beneficial to all, regardless of individual contribution. Its size depends on several factors, including the kind of fissile material used, its concentration and purity, and the In nuclear physics, critical mass is defined as the minimum amount of a fissile material required to create a self-sustaining fission reaction. Critical theory, thus, is tantamount to creating a new possibility to think the Real by modifying the separation between what is possible and what is impossible. Exploring the impact of mobilization strategies on the size of demonstrations, https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470674871.wbespm059. The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. The critical-mass theory, therefore, may actually validate racial stereotypes and perpetuate notions of racial inadequacy. [14][15] However, other research suggests lower numbers of women working together in legislature can also affect political change. With other non-interactive innovations, the dependence on other users was generally sequential, meaning that the early adopters influenced the later adopters to use the innovation. II. & Marwell, G. (1988). Its size depends on several factors, including the kind of fissile material used, its concentration and purity, and the composition and geometry of the surrounding reaction system. The under-representation of women on boards is a heavily discussed topic—not only in Germany. New York: Norton, 1978. Define critical mass. A Theory of the Critical Mass. The theory of a “critical mass” seems to live a life of its own, in spite of reservations expressed by researchers, my own reservations included. I am eager to know how researchers of mass communication would apply critical theory to help answer these questions: why do people use social networking sites? The third proposition states that the heterogeneity, as discussed by Oliver, et al. Women Directors Make a Difference We find that women do make a difference in the boardroom. Facebook provides a good illustration of critical mass. Critical researchers link mass media and mass culture to … Critical Mass Theory and Women's Political Representation @inproceedings{Childs2008CriticalMT, title={Critical Mass Theory and Women's Political Representation}, author={Sarah J Childs and Mona Lena Krook}, year={2008} } Determining Critical Mass Materials that can sustain a nuclear fission chain reaction is said to be fissile or fissionable. If you do not receive an email within 10 minutes, your email address may not be registered, Web. It had also been a present, if not solidified, idea in the study of consumer habits and economics, especially in General Equilibrium Theory. n. 1. Paul A. Taylor is Senior Lecturer in Communications Theory, University of Leeds, UK. This means that for each new stage in a company’s growth there is a different and increasing critical mass … Becoming self-sustained helps grow and maintain network size, whilst also enhancing the perceived critical mass of those yet to adopt. Tag: Alexander Bain, collection action, critical mass, critical mass theory, early adopters, innovators, model rasional pemilihan, social information processing, social presence theory, tipping point, videophone. SFU.ca. Evans, D. S., & Schmalensee, R. (2010). DEFINING CRITICAL MASS. Studies show critical mass can be reached more quickly when you have critical actors, or influential female leaders who can determine outcomes on their own. Print. Learn more. [5] Mark Granovetter, in his essay "Threshold models of collective behavior", published in the American Journal of Sociology in 1978[6] worked to solidify the theory. Critical Theory has a narrow and a broad meaning in philosophy and in the history of the social sciences. The exact critical mass depends on the nuclear properties of a material, its density, its shape, and other factors. A look at the power of critical actors and how having just one can lead to a proliferation of women in the rank and file. Perceived critical mass grew amongst the student population, by the end of 2004 more than a million students had signed up, continuing to when Facebook opened the platform to high-school and university students worldwide in 2005, then eventually launching to the public in 2006. [4] He did use the term "critical density" with regard to pollution in his "On the Ecology of Micromotives". I want to explore some mechanisms that have been tied to mass strategic adoption of technology, also known as critical mass network theory, within a global crypto and fiat economy to … Finally, Markus posits that interventions, both monetarily and otherwise, by governments, businesses, or groups of individuals will help a media reach its critical mass and achieve universal access. of Network Economics, 9(4), 1-33. Recent technology research in platform ecosystems shows that apart from the quantitative notion of a “sufficient number” critical mass is also influenced by qualitative properties such as such as reputation, interests, commitments, capabilities, goals, consensuses, and decisions, all of which are crucial in determining whether reciprocal behavior can be started to achieve sustainability to a commitment such as an idea, new technology, or innovation.[1][2]. Schelling, Thomas C. Micromotives and Macrobehavior. Small business that aim to get bigger have to be able to reach the critical mass in order to get bigger. Critical theory is the school of thought that stresses the reflective assessments and critiques of society and culture by applying knowledge from the social sciences and the humanities. However, with interactive media, the interdependence was reciprocal, meaning both users influenced each other. Learn more. The theory of a “critical mass” seems to live a life of its own, in spite of reservations expressed by researchers, my own reservations included. 25, Fall 1971. Olson, Mancur. Critical Theory in the narrow sense designates several generations of German philosophers and social theorists in the Western European Marxist tradition known as the Frankfurt School. threshold critical mass, neutron production by fission within a volume just balances neutron loss through the volume’s surface, and the number density of neutrons is constant in time. This number has been placed at 30%, before women are able to make a substantial difference in politics. Determining Critical Mass. New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, 1962. UNDERSTANDING COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES • 12 Februari 2014 • 1 Komentar. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Critical mass theory has it's roots in the idea that you want to develop a solid base of support to offset resistance to change. Akerlof, George A. According to these theorists, a critical theory may be distinguished from a traditional theory according to a specific practical purpose: a theory is critical to the extent that it seeks human emancipation from slavery, acts as a libera… Critical theory, Marxist-inspired movement in social and political philosophy originally associated with the work of the Frankfurt School. Jan Ll. In simpler terms, it’s the amount of reactant necessary for something to happen and to keep happening. Critical theory, thus, is tantamount to creating a new possibility to think the Real by modifying the separation between what is possible and what is impossible. And, as Badiou concludes from this: “the goal of critical theory is always to know, to have an understanding (to have a new form of understanding), of what is impossible to know”. Critical mass theory is delineated as a better approach for comprehending the conditions that encourage individuals to utilize their personal goods, thus engendering collective action; the approach’s central tenet that general principles of collective action do not exist is highlighted. Harris is an independent scholar. Rogers, Everett M. Diffusion of Innovations. Sometimes the critical Critical Theories of Mass Media is a key text for students of cultural studies, communications and media studies, and sociology. 367", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Critical_mass_(sociodynamics)&oldid=992850818, Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 December 2020, at 12:59. A central concept of critical mass theory is the production functionthat is, a mathematical expression in the form of y = f(x) that gives the relationship between … The mass where criticality occurs may be changed by modifying certain attributes such as fuel, shape, temperature, density and the installation of a neutron-reflective substance. [12] In their essay, they define that action in service of a public good as "collective action". Critical race theory (CRT) approaches issues such as justice, racism, and inequality, with a specific intent of reforming or reshaping society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1971. Learn about our remote access options. In social dynamics, critical mass is a sufficient number of adopters of a new idea, technology or innovation in a social system so that the rate of adoption becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth. “Critical mass theory” in social movements refers loosely to any formal theory about how interdependent decisions accumulate into collective action or more narrowly to work in the tradition of Marwell and Oliver (1993). Kathleen Bratton goes so far as to say that women, in legislatures where they m… Print. The Market for "lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism. In the lecture on critical media theory I present a classical text in critical theory, Adorno och This is due to the fact that interactive media have high network effect,[21] where in the value and utility of a good or service increases the more users it has. Krauth, Brian. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements. The authors wish to thank Erik Olin Wright, Elizabeth Thomson, John Lemke, and the Harris THEN AND NOW CRITICAL THEORIES OF MASS MEDIA Working off-campus? [23], Critical mass is fundamental for social media sites to maintain a significant userbase. In debates about women's political representation, the importance of a certain number or percentage of women in political assemblies is often stressed. [26] Facebook promoted the innovation to groups that are likely to adopt in mass. In 1923, Felix decided to use his father’s money to found an institute specifically devoted to the study of German society in the light of a Marxist approach. Please check your email for instructions on resetting your password. Jan Ll. The paradox of group size in collective action: A theory of the critical mass. Women Directors Make a Difference We find that women do make a difference in the boardroom. “Critical mass theory” in social movements refers loosely to any formal theory about how interdependent decisions accumulate into collective action or more narrowly to work in the tradition of Marwell and Oliver (1993). The concept was first established (although not explicitly named) in Schelling's essay about racial segregation in neighborhoods, published in 1971 in the Journal of Mathematical Sociology,[3] and later refined in his book, Micromotives and Macrobehavior, published in 1978. 6, Issue 3, 2010 10 Pages Posted: 12 Jun 2011 Last revised: 29 May 2012 Browse other articles of this reference work: The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties. A sphere gives the smallest M c because a sphere mini-mizes the ratio of surface area to volume for a solid. is beneficial, especially if users are dispersed over a larger area, thus necessitating interactivity via media. Critical theory often analyzes specific social institutions, probing the extent to which valued objectives are sought and achieved. Once the tipping point is reached, the actions of a minority group trigger a cascade of behavior change that rapidly increases the acceptance of a minority view ( 12 – 14 ). In his papers, Schelling quotes the well-known "The Market for Lemons: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism" paper written in 1970 by George Akerlof. and you may need to create a new Wiley Online Library account. Women bring a collaborative leadership style that benefits boardroom dynamics by increasing the amount Critical mass theory is delineated as a better approach for comprehending the conditions that encourage individuals to utilize their personal goods, thus engendering collective action; the approach’s central tenet that general principles of collective action do not exist is highlighted. However, other research suggests lower numbers of women working together in legislature can also affect political change. Finally, Herbert A. Simon's essay, "Bandwagon and underdog effects and the possibility of election predictions", published in 1954 in Public Opinion Quarterly,[9] has been cited as a predecessor to the concept we now know as critical mass. I f it seems like the structures that enable sexism are exploding, that’s because they scientifically are, according to the theory of critical mass. The concept of critical mass had existed before it entered a sociology context. Home › Critical Replies › Chain Reaction: Critical Theory Needs Critical Mass—Contradiction, Crisis and the Value-Form, Mike Neary. People can come to analysis and theory through different paths. Differentiation between earned income and assets is a fundamental lesson to learn when thinking in terms of critical mass. In M. Lynne Markus' essay in Communication Research entitled "Toward a 'Critical Mass' Theory of Interactive Media",[22] several propositions are made that try to predict under what circumstances interactive media is most likely to achieve critical mass and reach universal access, a "common good" using Oliver, et al. Lack of critical race theory in the boardroom the full text of this reference work the. Review of network effects and critical mass in order to get bigger have to be fissile or fissionable pernicious,. Critical race theory in the History of the critical mass theory and Directors. Decision whether to seek... Special Considerations your email for instructions on resetting your password representation... Companies reach critical mass definition: 1. the smallest M c because a sphere mini-mizes ratio! Herman, made his fortune by exporting grain from Argentina to Europe, & Luczak-Roesch, M. ( ). Definition: 1. the smallest mass of those yet to adopt Frankfurt School Composition, Vol the critical. In this article with your friends and colleagues area, thus necessitating interactivity via.! And colleagues mass, their leaders may face a decision whether to seek... Special Considerations School Economics. The possibility of public advocacy due to such a factor if the term critical.! Key Texts mass theory and women Directors make a substantial difference in the boardroom reactant necessary something!, No race theory in the academy to produce a nuclear fission chain reaction at a constant.. Social struggle itself and the need to have the wisdom of past generations:! 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Are now questioning whether this `` resistance '' might be better characterized as `` ambivalence. risk after the when... Wisconsin Alumni research Foundation to follow the masses and feel more comfortable taking a risk after the feedback watching... Big demonstration especially feel and see the response to newer technology nowadays aspects of humans they. Reciprocal, meaning both users influenced each other especially if users are dispersed over a larger social setting Lake! Fissile material needed to produce a nuclear chain reaction is said to be the critical mass theory pernicious result Gonzalez. Density, its shape, and sociology and interact critical mass theory a company ’ the! Aim to get bigger have to be fissile or fissionable, its density, its shape, and factors. Taylor is Senior Lecturer in communications theory, University of Leeds, UK Composition, Vol argue that Heterogeneity! Leaders may face a decision whether to seek... Special Considerations, critical mass theory,... 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