Crowds in American Culture, Society and Politics

A Psychosocial Semiotic Analysis

By (author) Arthur Asa Berger

Publication date:

02 May 2023

Publisher

Anthem Press

Dimensions:

229x153mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781839988608

This book builds on Le Bon’s classic, The Crowd, to evaluate the role of crowds in American culture, society, and politics. It offers a detailed description of Le Bon’s book along with material on Freud’s book on group psychology, crowds and cults, the semiotics of crowds, American national character and crowds, the 1/6 attackon the Capitol, and crowds and COVID-19.

1. Introduction; 2. The Crowd; 3. Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego; 4. Crowds and Cults; 5. The Semiotics of Crowds; 6. Crowds and American National Character; 7. Crowds and the January 6, 2021 Insurrection; 8. Crowds and Covid; 9. Coda; Index

Arthur Asa Berger presents an excellent discussion of Le Bon’s classic The Crowd that reveals the relevance of the book for the reader today. Through his engaging writing style, Berger manages to bring Le Bon’s arguments to life and to provide the reader with tools to analyze “crowds.”—Dirk vom Lehn, Professor of Organisationand Practice, King’s College London, UK.