This book analyses sociological discussions on crowds and masses since the late nineteenth century, covering France, Germany and the USA.

Mary Esteve provides a study of crowd representations in American literature from the antebellum era to the early twentieth century. As a central icon of political and cultural democracy, the crowd occupies a prominent place in the American literary and cultural landscape. Esteve examines a range of writing by Poe, Hawthorne, Lydia Maria Child, Du Bois, James, and Stephen Crane among others. These writers, she argues, distinguish between the aesthetics of immersion in a crowd and the mode of collectivity demanded of political-liberal subjects. In their representations of everyday crowds, ranging from streams of urban pedestrians to swarms of train travellers, from upper-class parties to lower-class revivalist meetings, such authors seize on the political problems facing a mass liberal democracy - problems such as the stipulations of citizenship, nation formation, mass immigration and the emergence of mass media. Esteve examines both the aesthetic and political meanings of such urban crowd scenes.

In 'The Behavior of Crowds,' Everett Dean Martin delves into the intricate dynamics of crowd psychology and the susceptibility of the masses to propaganda, particularly in the context of the rapidly evolving technological landscape of the modern era. His work is a piercing examination of how information, or the lack thereof, can be wielded to shape public opinion and behavior. The book is distinguished by its probing analysis, eloquent style, and the ability to place its insights within the broader literary tradition of social critique, reminding readers of the works of Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter, while also anticipating later twentieth-century thinkers like Eric Hoffer. Everett Dean Martin, with his background as a minister, journalist, and social psychologist, brings to bear a unique interdisciplinary approach in understanding the mechanisms of groupthink and mass influence. His advocacy for adult education reflects his concern for an informed citizenry and underpins this seminal work. The observations in 'The Behavior of Crowds' are a direct outcome of his extensive career spent at the intersection of education, social philosophy, and public discourse. 'The Behavior of Crowds' is a must-read for students of social psychology, historians of the early twentieth century, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology, media, and society. Martin's work provides both a timeless exploration of human behavior in collective settings and a poignant commentary relevant to contemporary discussions on the power of influence, media literacy, and the role of education in developing critical thinking skills.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

This book takes predominant crowd theory to task, questioning received ideas about ‘mob psychology’ that remain prevalent today. It is a synchronic study of crowds, crowd dynamics and the relationships of crowds to political power in Tunisia, Libya and Algeria (2011-2013) that has far reaching implications embedded in its thesis. One central theme of the book is gender, providing an in-depth look at women’s participation in the recent uprisings and crowds of 2011-2013 and the subsequent gender-related aspects of political transitions. The book also focuses on the social and political dynamics of tribalism and group belonging (‘asabiyya), including analysis and discussions with Libyan regional tribal chiefs, Libyan and Tunisian tribal members and citizens regarding their notions of tribal belonging. Crowd language and literature are also central to the book’s discussion of how crowds represent themselves, how we as observers represent crowds, and how crowds confront languages of authoritarianism and subjugation. Crowds and Politics in North Africa includes interviews with crowd participants and key civil society actors from Tunisia, Libya and Algeria. Among these, there are numerous interviews with Benghazi residents, activists and tribal leaders. One of the original case studies in the book is the crowd dynamics during and after the attack on the US consular installation in Benghazi, Libya. The book presents interviews and fieldwork within a literary and cultural theoretical context showing how crowds in the region resonate in forms of cultural resistance to authoritarianism. A valuable resource, this book will be of use to students and scholars with an interest in North African culture, society and politics more broadly.