Final+copy+of+Essay+on+Moral+Panic


 * ASSIGNMENT TWO: INDIVIDUAL ESSAY **

Moral panic can be defined as the byproducts of controversies that have created arguments and social tension and unrest. A moral panic refers to when a community has an overreaction to a new media form and they associate it with deviant sub cultural groups who are supposedly disturbing the social order. A number of sociologists have developed their own definitions and theories about moral panics. In this essay I will provide an analysis of some of their views and research. Cohen (1973) defines a moral panic as “the intensity of a feeling expressed by a large number of people about a specific group of people who appear to threaten the [|social order] at any given time”. Gagne (2001) defines that a moral panic is usually “expressed as expressions of outrage rather than unadulterated fear and framed in terms of a dominant morality threatened by the activities of a stereotyped group. Gagne adds that a “moral panic is a panic over what is seen as deviant behaviour. The subject of the panic is usually not a suddenly new phenomenon, but something which has been in existence for many years, and suddenly comes to society's and the media's attention.” Scott (2005) refers to more recent “moral panic as having since been applied in the analysis of the societal reaction to many other social problems, including football hooliganism, child abuse, AIDS, and numerous adolescent subcultural activities”. (Scott, J. & Marshall, G., 2005) Many sociologists have noted the differences between the definitions of American and British sociologists when it comes to moral panic. Author [|Kenneth Thompson] (1998) argues in his book ‘Moral Panics’ that this is the age of moral panic and that the concept should take a much more central place in the discipline. He has further suggested that American sociologists tend to emphasize psychological factors whereas the British portray moral panics as crises of capitalism. Moral panic promised sociologists a potentially powerful tool, as they would be able to declare that the social reactions to specific threats were overblown and unwarranted. Finally it is important to note the media plays a big part in creating moral panics, they have for a long time been the agents of moral indignation. Just by reporting what is happening and stating the facts this can be enough to generate a concern, anxiety or panic within society. Journalist Margaret Talbot suggests that the key features of contemporary moral panic over sex offences for instance include the enormous inflation of statistics.

Cohen (2007) further believes that moral panic occurs when “a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests”. People will start a panic when they feel a fear or threat to prevailing cultural or social values, this is known as moral entrepreneurs by researchers. Folk devils are groups targeted by a moral panic, fictional or not. They are groups labeled by the media as evil or deviant and a threat to the moral well being of society or to ‘social order’. Social order being a concept which refers to the normal ways we as society should behave. Along with many other sociologists, Cohen believes that moral panics have several distinct features about them, which he explains in his Deviancy Amplification spiral. Firstly there needs to be a concern, for example there is awareness that the behaviour of the group in question is likely to have a negative impact on society. Then comes the hostility stage where hostility increases towards the group in question. The next stage occurs when there becomes a division and the group is seen as folk devils. The consensus stage follows and although concern doesn’t need to be nationwide, if there is a widespread acceptance that the group in question poses a very real threat to the norms of society, a consensus exists. It is important at this stage that the moral entrepreneurs who are mainly the mass media are very vocal and the folk devils appear weak and disorganized. The disproportionality stage then occurs when the action taken is of a disproportionate nature to the actual threat posed by the accused group. Finally, there is the volatility stage which is when moral panics are highly volatile and tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared. This is mainly due to a decrease in public interest or the moral entrepreneurs reports changing to another topic. In //Folk Devils and Moral Panics,// Cohen outlines some of the criticisms that have arisen in response to the moral panic theory. One of these is the term "panic" itself, as it has connotations of absurdity and a lack of control or power. Cohen maintains however that "panic" is a suitable term when used as an extended metaphor. Another criticism is that of the disproportionality that has come about. The problem with this argument is that there is no way to measure what a proportionate reaction should be to a specific action. Other sociologists have criticized Cohen's work stating that not all the //folk devils// expressed in his work are vulnerable or unfairly maligned. Cohen states that “A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media; the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right- thinking people; socially accredited experts pronounce their diagnoses and solutions; ways of coping are evolved or more often resorted to; the condition then disappears, submerges or deteriorates and becomes more visible.” (Cohen,1989)

In //Moral Panics Over Youth Culture and Video Games// Gagne (2001) writes that a moral panic is usually “expressed as expressions of outrage rather than unadulterated fear and framed in terms of a dominant morality threatened by the activities of a stereotyped group (children, migrants, schismatics)”. Gagne concludes further that “one consequence that can occur is that the consumption of commodities such as comics and video games may be reified, with attention. Gagne declares that “eventually the stereotype fades of its own volition, to be replaced in a few years by another moral panic, perhaps when the original entertainment form and the response to it change, creating a panic that is a variation on the original”. There are some classic examples of moral panic which have taken their place in our society. New Zealand has had its fair share which has changed certain communities. In 1954, there was a Ministerial inquiry undertaken on the moral delinquency in youth. The Inquiry resulted in the //Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents//. This study was mainly triggered by the Parker-Hulme murder and the Petone incident, where a girl reported on a 'Milk Bar Gang' who met 'mostly for sex purposes' (MediaScape) Another high profile case which illustrates moral panic in our midst is that of the 1993 conviction in of Peter Ellis, a childcare worker in the Christchurch Civic Creche. Along with four other workers, all women, these people were accused of all sorts of debached and ridiculous actions against children under the age of 5. Charges against the women were dismissed, however Ellis was convicted on 16 counts involving sexual offences against children in his care. It has been reported by a range of professionals that these charges would never have seen the light of a court room, let along a police station today. However because of the moral panic which occurred, childcare centres have never quite recovered from the stigma this case created. Pop culture and everything and everyone associated with pop culture has also come under attack from moral panic with many talented artists labelled as folk devil. Take for an example [|Elvis Presley's]  gyrating hips which supplemented with rock and roll music in the 50s which were linked to sex and promiscuity. Now Elvis’s fans are in there 60’s plus and are grandparents. A more recent example of a folk devil is [|Marilyn Manson]  and his music which has been blamed for supposedly inspiring the Columbine High school killers to do their deeds. Further examples of folk devils have included 1920’s soviet Russia, homosexuality, McCarthy’s alleged Communists, Goths, paedophiles, racial groups, gangs, drugs, people from certain countries who have different beliefs like Arabic nations, football hooligans, youth subcultures, music genres and terrorism this are just a few of the supposed folk devils in our society.

It would be befitting to conclude this essay with a quote from Cohen (1987). “More moral panics will be generated and other, as yet nameless, folk devils will be created. This is not because such developments have an inexorable inner logic, but because our society as present structured will continue to generate problems for some of its members...and then condemn whatever solution these groups find”. [Cohen 1987:204]

 Cohen, S. (1973). //Folk Devils and Moral Panics.// St Albans: Paladin, p.9 Shuker, R. (1994) Understanding Popular Music Culture p. 226 – 229 – Routledge Shuker, R. (2001) //Understanding Popular Music//, London, Routledge Scott, J. & Marshall, G., (2005) Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford, University Press Gagne, K. (2001) Dissertation //Moral Panics Over Youth Culture and Video Games// retrieved on April 21, 2009 from [] Mediascape retrieved on April 24, 2009 from [] Thompson, K. (1998) Moral Panics. London and New York: Routledge, 1998, pp 157 retrieved on April 24, 2009 from []
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