Abstract

This chapter addresses crowd psychology and breakdown theories within the field of social movement research. Paradigm shifts, in particular the debate between collective behavior and collective action approaches, are exemplified by the American TV series “The Walking Dead.” The interpretation of the series attempts to discuss the issue of the unreasonable and destructive nature of the crowd versus its ability to engage in collective action. Eventually, the boundaries between “normal” social movement politics and “abnormal” crowd action seem to be not that clear-cut anymore.