A moral panic is a widespread, often unjustified worry that some evil person or thing is threatening a community’s or society’s ideals, interests, or well-being. It is defined as the process of generating social concern over a problem, which is frequently perpetuated by moral entrepreneurs and the mass media and aggravated by politicians and legislators. This essay will cover an idea of moral panic as an effort to control the society, because the overwhelming majority of people strongly assure that moral panic is a great way of controlling various groups of people, whilst others think oppositely.
The term moral panic refers to a societal reaction of mass concern based on the perception that a certain person, position, or group of individuals poses a threat to society. The idea of moral panic has emerged as a result of scientific advances in our knowledge of social processes and changes in our society. It incorporates multiple particles from various surroundings inside itself, such as deviance, crime, collective behaviour, social difficulties, and social movement.
The best example of moral panic in the UK might be the knife crime or mugging. Every year London is expanding. Buildings and skyscrapers are filling closer one to another. Small streets between these buildings are filled with teenagers looking for their victims. Mugging became a new form of a crime. In 1970s this flow of information was a shock for local people. This news became a mainstream and a moral panic simultaneously.
Another case of moral panic is AIDS / HIV. In 1980s growth of LGBTQ+ community increased rapidly. World started to adapt to different groups and communities around the World. People had an unprotected sex more and more. Lack of information about STI affected on people poorly. Most famous case in this case was about Freddy Mercury. He passed away of HIV/AIDS. Society was scared and it became a moral panic.
To add:
concern – an event sparks social anxiety.
Hostility – a subculture is seen as ‘folk devils’ who are looked upon with hostility.
Consensus – fear of this subculture becomes the dominant narrative in media and social discussion.
Disproportionality – The threat is exaggerated
Volatility – A moral panic emerges and disappears suddenly (often when another moral panic takes its place)
Mods And Rockers
The first moral panic that was discussed in sociological literature was that of the Mods vs. Rockers by Stanley Cohen. The Mods and Rockers were two 1960s British sub-cultures defined by their musical and clothing preferences
GENERAL TOPICS
https://www.thoughtco.com/moral-panic-3026420
Cohen defined his five stages of moral panic as:
1. Something or someone is defined as a threat to values or interests
2. This threat is depicted in an easily recognisable form by the media
3. There is a rapid build-up of public concern
4. There is a response from authorities or opinion makers
5. The panic recedes or results in social changes
https://revisionworld.com/a2-level-level-revision/media-studies-level-revision/moral-panic-theory
Hall – steart hall
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