Youth Subcultures: Media And Youth Deviance

Question 1

What is moral panic

Answer 1

Members of society begin to panic and focus on a group defined as a threat

Question 2

What is a folk devil

Answer 2

People presented in the media as a threat, scapegoat for society’s problems

Question 3

What is a deviancy amplification spiral

Answer 3

1. Deviant act occurs
2. Media picks up and exaggerates problem
3. Readers interested, more coverage
4. Deviants seen as folk devils
5. Deviancy amplification, media focusses on deviant acts
6. Law and order respond
7. Moral panic, self fulfilling prophecy
8. Consequences, public are fearful and less tolerant

Question 4

Cohen - mods and rockers

Answer 4

Media presented confrontation as hellbent on distraction
Moral panic was created and more people were arrested

Question 5

Evaluation of cohen research

Answer 5

Young criticised moral panic as it cannot be reduced to simply being made by media, mods and rockers were in fact deviant in the first place