moral panics

Question 1

moral panics

Answer 1

• moral panic is a sociological concept that seeks to explain a particular type of overreaction to a perceived social problem
• it’s principal aim was to expose the processes involved in creating concern about a social problem
• the idea of “moral panic” was central to stanley cohen’s research and became a frequently used term which has been used by sociologists to understand the negative portrayal of stereotyped images of “demonised groups”
• it is usually the media who have the power to create a panic or paint a subculture in a negative light
• an important element in this process is the creation of a moral panic - an exaggerated overreaction by society to a perceived problem, this is usually driven or inspired by the media

Question 2

folk devils and moral panics

Answer 2

• cohen found that while there were some minor scuffles when the different subcultures met on a bank holiday, the media created a story out of these which turned it into a much more significant phenomenon
• the reaction meant that the police responded to future conflict more forcefully
• other people wanted to join in and have their “five minute of fame”
• the mods and rockets are a good example of how societal reaction to deviance can amplify that deviance

Question 3

strengths of study

Answer 3

• his work made it easier to explain how the powerful groups in society can introduce “control legislation” which would probably be rejected under normal circumstances
• the theory is sociologically useful because he explains the development of a panic, he shows how the language used by the media was vastly exaggerated
• cohens theory is useful in explaining how the media are involved in the process, and how they can exert power in society

Question 4

weaknesses of study

Answer 4

• in yvonne jewkes’ book, she argues that there are different levels of deviancy that are not accounted for in cohens work
• for example, one cannot compare the moral panic about the use of cannabis to that about child sexual abuse
• morality is not fixed, what might have led to a moral panic in the 70s may be completely different from what causes a moral panic now
• it doesn’t seem to explain what cause the behaviour in the first place, only why people continue to do it