Introduction:

Social hysteria, as an unstable and emotional force, guides and regulates collective behaviors through the consumption of joy manifested in extravagant rituals and celebrations.



Methodology:

This study adopts a development-oriented approach with a mixed-method model to analyze social hysteria, the consumption of joy, and their impact on collective behaviors from a gendered perspective. The research methodology is exploratory and mixed-method: initially, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 experts in urban planning and sociology and analyzed using grounded theory. Subsequently, quantitative data were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on partial least squares (PLS).



Findings:

The results indicate that the main indicators of social hysteria and joy production include: luxury and micro-level social competition, consumerism and social pressure, competition in festivals and travel, collective behavioral pressure, and symbolic happiness. These factors influence population behaviors in various rituals and celebrations. Collective behaviors are affected through indicators such as behavioral beliefs and emotions, responsibility and role-taking, and socio-cultural susceptibility. According to the structural equation model, the constructs with the strongest influence were consumerism and social pressure (standardized beta = 0.346) and collective behavioral pressure (standardized beta = 0.379).



Conclusion:

A multidimensional and participatory approach in cultural policies, education, economic support, and media representation is essential to address the dynamics of joy and social hysteria and to prevent the reproduction of social inequalities.