- Critical mass (sociodynamics)
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Critical mass is a sociodynamic term to describe the existence of sufficient momentum in a social system such that the momentum becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth.
Social factors influencing critical mass may involve the size, interrelatedness and level of communication in a society or one of its subcultures. Another is social stigma, or the possibility of public advocacy due to such a factor. Critical mass may be closer to majority consensus in political circles, where the most effective position is more often that held by the majority of people in society. In this sense, small changes in public consensus can bring about swift changes in political consensus, due to the majority-dependent effectiveness of certain ideas as tools of political debate.
Critical mass is a concept used in a variety of contexts, including physics, group dynamics, politics, public opinion, and technology.
See also
- Bandwagon effect
- Network effect
- One-third hypothesis
- Positive feedback
- Tipping point (sociology)
- Viral phenomenon
References
- Philip Ball: Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to Another, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ISBN 0374530416
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