Editing Crowd (section)

==Social aspects==
[[File:Pohjoisesplanadi 1 - Helsinki 1924 - - hkm.HKMS000005-km0036ey.jpg|thumb|A crowd in front of the [[Presidential Palace, Helsinki|Presidential Palace]] on July 21, 1924, in [[Helsinki]], [[Finland]]]]
Social aspects are concerned with the formation, management and [[crowd control|control of crowds]], both from the point of view of individuals and groups. Often crowd control is designed to persuade a crowd to align with a particular view (e.g., [[Demonstration (people)|political rallies]]), or to contain groups to prevent damage or mob behaviour.  Politically organised crowd control is usually conducted by law enforcement but on some occasions military forces are used for particularly large or dangerous crowds.

According to Gustave Le Bon, an individual partaking in a crowd adopts certain characteristics such as a decreased ability to think consciously, a predominance of unconscious motives, succumbing easily to suggestion or contagion of feelings and ideas in a similar direction, and tend towards immediately bringing suggestions to action.<ref name="LeBon">{{cite book |last1=Le Bon |first1=Gustave |title=The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind |date=1897 |publisher=T.F. Unwin  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ip03UHMK5w8C|ref=2}}</ref> In his view, most crowds are impulsive, irritable, incapable of reasoning, lack judgement and are fueled by an exaggeration of sentiments.<ref name="LeBon"/> Crowds typically follow an individual or an individual that supports an idea or belief that they deem superior or credible. Le Bon identified two classes of leaders: those that are energetic and have a strength of will and those whose strength of will is enduring, though the latter is thought to be the most impactful.<ref name="LeBon"/> His ideology suggests that the leader should affirm, repeat the affirmation, and foster contagion within the crowd in order to have lasting effects.<ref name="LeBon"/>